Beehive – NCERT Class 9 — Reach for the Top -Part 1

Reach for the top

Part 1

Santosh Yadav

1. Santosh is a woman mountaineer who scaled Mount Everest, not once but twice. Such a feat is considered unique. She was born in Joniyawas, a tiny village in Rewari district of Haryana. The family had five sons before she was born. Generally, male children are preferred over female ones. When Santosh was in her mother’s womb, a wandering holy man happened to visit the family. It’s customary for such sadhus to bless the people who meet him. On that occasion, he was standing close to the pregnant mother and her mother-in-law. It was assumed that the would-be mother would ask for a son, but her mother-in-law stepped in to say that they wanted a daughter, no more son. Such an unconventional stand was surprising. Nevertheless, the visiting sadhu blessed the pregnant woman and told her that she would give birth to a daughter.
2. The female child was born, and named Santosh. This word means ‘contentment’. Santosh grew up in a very different manner. From the start, she loved to think, behave, and dress like a boy. She was determined to stick to her calling, and became an uncompromising, and a strong-willed girl who clung to her inner desire. She felt, if she remained firm in her ways, others would fall in line gradually.
3. Santosh’s parents were well-to-do, who sent their five sons to the best private schools in nearby New Delhi. Since her society discriminated against girl children, her parents sent to the village school for education unlike her brothers. She grew up to rich sixteen –a threshold age where most daughters were married off by their parents. Santosh, too, was prodded by her parents to marry.
4. Santosh was adamant not to yield to the idea of getting married. She was keen to pursue better education in a New Delhi school just as her brothers did. The pressure from her parents was unrelenting, but Santosh stood her ground firmly. Defying parental restrictions, she went and got herself admitted in a good school of her choice. Her parents were peeved at her stubborn stand, and refused to pay for the school’s admission fees. Santosh refused to give up. She said she would to do some part time work to earn money for her fees. Her parents backtracked on their opposition and agreed to finance her school education.
5. Santosh made the best use of her opportunity and studied hard to excel in examinations. Seeing her extraordinary zeal to outperform others in education, her parents slowly reconciled to their daughter’s journey in a non-conventional path. Santosh passed her Matriculation examination, and went to Jaipur for higher education. She enrolled in Maharani College where she was allotted a place in Kasturba Hostel. Through her hostel window, she could gaze at the Aravalli Hills that stood not very far away. The Hills beckoned her. She wanted to scale it, but she had no like-minded companion. One day, she came across a group of mountaineers getting ready to start their adventure. Santosh asked them if she could accompany them. They agreed readily. This incident triggered her passion for climbing mountains.
6. Santosh didn’t ever think of curbing her adventurist spirit. The challenges of mountaineering continued to spark her innate tendencies to indulge in difficult outdoor activities. She enrolled in Nehru Institute of Mountaineering in Uttarkashi to pursue her passion. Her semester examination in her college got somewhat postponed by two days, from May 19th to May 21st. The session in the Mountaineering College was to start in May 23rd. It didn’t allow her to go home before proceeding to Uttarkashi. She felt guilty for not returning to her parents after the semester examination. To make worse for her conscience, she had enrolled in the Nehru Mountaineering College without seeking her father’s nod. Now, she went to Uttarkashi without his knowledge. Beset with regret, she wrote a heartfelt apology letter to her father explaining her decision.
7. At the Mountaineering College, she made remarkable progress. She knew danger stalked her at every step when she climbed a mountain. The hardship of the sport inspired her instead of deterring her. She went on on annual mountaineering expeditions with a sense of joy. She developed physical and mental endurance that is needed while battling the dangers in high altitudes. Success came her way, when she scaled Mount Everest in 1992 at the very young age of twenty. It was a spectacular feat that brought her acclaim from far and wide. Curiously, just four years ago, she, as a novice, had sought permission from the group of mountaineers to climb the Aravalli Mountains in their group. The strides she made as a woman mountaineer became a talk of the town.
8. As a climber, Santosh Yadav had developed a tough mind, but deep inside it was a kind kernel. On one mission, she came across a climber by the name Col. Sol. He was on the verge of death as the hazardous surroundings had made him struggle for life. Santosh made a frantic effort to rescue him, but the attempt proved futile. Col. Sol passed away on the spot. However, Santosh made a similar relief effort for another climber named Mohan Singh. He survived, thanks to the Oxygen cylinder that she passed on to him to save his life. Thus, Mohan Singh fought off death with Santosh’s oxygen help.
9. Santosh Yadav’s repeat success came in just about a year. She was invited to be a member of the Indo-Nepalese Women’s Mountaineering Expedition. In this role, Santosh scaled Mount Everest for the second time. Recognizing her superb courage and spirit of adventure, The Indian government awarded the Padmashree honour to her.
10. Santosh Yadav recalls the sense of pride that had gripped her mind when she unfurled the Indian Tri-colour atop the highest mountain peak. The feat made her a household name, and the memory of that momentous event remains etched in her memory. As a true environmentalist, she retrieved nearly half a ton of garbage left behind by other mountaineers. She, thus, makes herself a truly patriotic Indian.

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Thinking about the Text

I. Answer these questions in one or two sentences each. (The paragraph numbers within brackets provide clues to the answers.)

1. Why was the ‘holy man’ who gave Santosh’s mother his blessings surprised? (1)

Ans .. As per social practice prevalent then, and even now, a male child got preference over a female child. Contrary to this norm, Santosh’s mother and mother-in-law wanted a girl child to be born. The ‘holy man’ was surprised by such unusual choice.

2. Give an example to show that even as a young girl Santosh was not ready to accept anything unreasonable. (2)

Ans .. Santosh was unusually assertive and independent-minded. She refused to be swayed by parental pressure. She wore clothes meant for male children. This underscores her rational mindset.

3. Why was Santosh sent to the local school? (3)

Ans .. Education for girls never a priority for the parents, because a girl was married off after reaching the age of 16. So, her parents chose to send her to the village school instead of a highly-rated private school.

4. When did she leave home for Delhi, and why? (4)

Ans .. After completing her education in the village school, Santosh was determined to follow the footsteps of her brother by going to a private school in Delhi that were highly rated for the better education they provided. Santosh was set her eyes on such school defying the resistance of her parents. Her stubborn desire for superior education took her to Delhi.

5. Why did Santosh’s parents agree to pay for her schooling in Delhi? What mental qualities of Santosh are brought into light by this incident? (4)

Ans .. Santosh had set her eyes on the Delhi school because she wanted the best education available, but even after getting herself admitted, her parents refused to pay the school fees. Santosh said she would work part time to earn money for her education. Such a proposal of their daughter tore down the barrier in the minds of her parents, and they offered to pay the fees. This shows the steely mindset and the strong conviction of Santosh.

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II. Answer each of these questions in a short paragraph (about 30 words).

1. How did Santosh begin to climb mountains?

Ans.. The view of the Aravalli Hills through her hostel window inspired Santosh to climb it one day. On one occasion, she saw a mountaineering group getting ready to start their expedition. Her dream fructified when they agreed to take her along in their trip.

2. What incidents during the Everest expedition show Santosh’s concern for her team-mates?

Ans .. Santosh saw two mountaineers who had fallen victim to the hazards of Everest. She came forward to save their lives. Sadly, one attempt proved futile. The second case involving Mohan Singh was successful. Mohan survived the close brush with death.

3. What shows her concern for the environment?

Ans.. While returning from her ascent, she collected nearly 500 kgs of the garbage left behind by others, Being an environment enthusiast, she collected the waste and brought it down.

4. How does she describe her feelings at the summit of the Everest?

Ans .. A combination of satisfaction, wonder, and national pride had gripped Santosh’s mind when she reached the summit of the Everest. A great feeling of accomplishment made her very proud and happy.

5. Santosh Yadav got into the record books both times she scaled Mt Everest. What were the reasons for this?

Ans . She was just 20 when she scaled Mount Everest in her very first attempt. For a woman, this was unique. Her second success came just within 12 months. For a girl born in a tradition-bound Haryana family, such a feat was unthinkable. These were the reasons that made her so famous.

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III. Complete the following statements.

1. From her room in Kasturba Hostel, Santosh used to gaze at the picturesque Aravalli Hills through her hostel window.
2. When she finished college, Santosh had to write a letter of apology to her father because she had enrolled in the Nehru Mountaineering College in Uttarkashi without seeking his assent, and later had to skip her home visit to be able to start her session there.
3. During the Everest expedition, her seniors in the team admired her ability to confront the hazards associated with mountaineering while her readiness to come to the rescue of her distressed expeditioners endeared her to fellow climbers.—————————-

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IV. Pick out words from the text that mean the same as the following words or expressions. (Look in the paragraphs indicated.)

1. took to be true without proof (1): where the birth of a son was regarded as a blessing, and a daughter, though not considered a curse, was not generally welcome.
2. based on reason; sensible; reasonable (2): “From the very beginning I was quite determined that if I chose a correct and a rational path, the others around me had to change, not me.”
3. the usual way of doing things (3): But, in line with the prevailing custom in the family, Santosh had to make do with the local village school.
4. a strong desire arising from within (5): I used to watch villagers from my room, going up the hill and suddenly vanishing after a while. One day I decided to check it out myself.
5. the power to endure, without falling ill (7): Also, she developed a remarkable resistance to cold and the altitude. Equipped with an iron will, physical endurance and an amazing mental toughness, she proved herself repeatedly.