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By:

Anandajit Goswami

15 April 2026 at 11:15:27 pm

Lessons from the Mountains

How much of the Himalayas must melt before we rediscover our humanity? I have carried this question for some time. Perhaps it came from the mountains, the rain and the silence. The Himalayas feed rivers, sustain communities and carry memories of centuries. Yet their changing landscape reminds us that nature has limits. We discuss melting glaciers, disappearing water sources and climate change, but too often these remain statistics. What happens when they become part of daily life? I imagine...

Lessons from the Mountains

How much of the Himalayas must melt before we rediscover our humanity? I have carried this question for some time. Perhaps it came from the mountains, the rain and the silence. The Himalayas feed rivers, sustain communities and carry memories of centuries. Yet their changing landscape reminds us that nature has limits. We discuss melting glaciers, disappearing water sources and climate change, but too often these remain statistics. What happens when they become part of daily life? I imagine sitting on those mountains on a rain soaked afternoon, watching clouds descend and the earth being washed clean. In that silence, love arrives. Not the dramatic love we celebrate, but a quieter love that simply sits beside us. And then I ask myself: have I learned to love another human being, or only the idea of humanity? Humanity as an idea is easy to love. The person before us is different. He has fears, weaknesses, anger and wounds. To love a human being requires patience. It requires us to stay. The question stays with me. We often imagine spirituality as a journey away from people, towards mountains, forests and solitude. But perhaps the journey into the mountains is only half the journey. The other half is returning to people. Perhaps we enter the forest not to escape humanity, but to understand it better, and then return to everyday life with a greater ability to see those around us. If spirituality creates distance between us and others, what have we gained? True spirituality should make that distance smaller. It should make us more compassionate, not more detached. We can speak to someone thousands of kilometres away in seconds, but may not know what the person next to us is going through. How much of Nepal do we really reach when we admire its mountains? Perhaps Nepal represents every distant place we admire without truly knowing, every landscape we photograph without understanding, and every suffering we discuss without allowing it to change us. We can cross mountains and borders without ever truly arriving. A journey is complete only when it brings us closer to another human being. Perhaps that is where a spiritual journey becomes meaningful. And then there is violence. A missile can cross the sky in seconds. A bullet can end a life in an instant. But fear travels much faster. It moves from one heart to another and changes the way people see each other. Grief becomes anger, anger becomes hatred, and hatred makes it easier to see another human being as an enemy rather than as a person. At such moments, our philosophies disappear. The mask falls. I imagine looking beside me. I expect to find a gun. But there is no gun. There is a guitar. I do not know who placed it there. Perhaps it was love. Perhaps it was music or another human being reminding me that there is a choice. The gun represents hatred, revenge, intolerance and the desire to silence another voice. The guitar represents conversation, empathy and creativity when the world is full of noise. We can decide what we add to the world. We can add to anger, or we can reduce it. We can answer hatred with hatred, or begin a conversation. Every choice shapes society. Perhaps that is where being human really begins. The Himalayas may continue to melt. Rivers may shrink. Fear may return, and guns may continue to speak. But we still have a choice. We can add another weapon to the noise, or pick up the guitar. We can continue speaking the language of fear, or learn the language of compassion. Perhaps spirituality is making that choice again and again. Humanity begins with the person standing next to us. It could be a stranger, neighbour, colleague, or someone we strongly disagree with. The moment we stop seeing that person as another human being and begin to see something of ourselves in him, the distance becomes smaller. The mountains may teach us silence. Rivers may teach us movement. Rain may teach us renewal. But their greatest lesson is simple: we are all standing on the same fragile earth. The world will continue to change, whether we are ready or not. The real question is what we will become while it changes. Where we expected a gun, perhaps there can be a guitar. Perhaps we should begin there. We may not control the future, but we can influence the human atmosphere we leave behind. (The writer is an author and musician. Views personal.)

Special Bond With India

Writer: Waleed Hussain
Waleed Hussain
Jul 19
3 min read

The cricketing world mourns the passing of Sir Garfield St Aubrun Sobers, universally known as Sir Gary or Garry Sobers, one of the greatest all-rounders the game has ever seen. Born on July 28, 1936, in Bridgetown, Barbados, Sobers passed away today at the age of 89 (or thereabouts, depending on the exact timing). His death marks the end of an era for cricket, a sport he elevated through unparalleled skill, versatility, and charisma. Sobers was not just a player; he was a genius who could bat with elegance and power, bowl in multiple styles, field brilliantly, and lead with quiet authority.


Sobers made his Test debut for the West Indies at just 17 against England in 1954. Over a 20-year international career spanning 93 Tests, he scored 8,032 runs at a remarkable average of 57.78, including 26 centuries, while claiming 235 wickets at 34.03 and taking 109 catches. In first-class cricket, his numbers were even more staggering: over 28,000 runs and more than 1,000 wickets. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1975 for his services to the game and later named one of Barbados’ National Heroes. Wisden honored him as one of the Cricketers of the Century. Don Bradman himself regarded Sobers as the finest all-round cricketer he had seen.


His Best Performance

Among Sobers’ many legendary feats, one stands tallest: his maiden Test century against Pakistan in Kingston in 1958. At the age of 21, he batted for over ten hours to score an unbeaten 365, breaking Len Hutton’s world record for the highest individual Test score (which stood until Brian Lara’s 375 in 1994). It was the first time a player converted a maiden Test ton into a triple century. In that series, he amassed 824 runs with three hundreds. He followed it up with another dominant tour of India in 1958-59, scoring 557 runs with three more centuries.


Another iconic moment came in 1968 at Swansea, where he became the first batsman in first-class cricket to hit six sixes in a single over off Malcolm Nash. As captain, he led the West Indies to memorable series victories, including against Australia in 1965 and a 2-0 win in India in 1966-67. His 254 for the Rest of the World against Australia in 1971 was hailed by Bradman as one of the greatest innings ever seen in that country. Sobers’ ability to switch seamlessly between left-arm spin, fast-medium, and wrist-spin bowling, while dominating with the bat, made him a “five-in-one” cricketer.


Love Affairs in His Career

Sobers’ personal life, like his cricket, had its share of glamour and headlines. During the 1966-67 tour of India, he was briefly engaged to Bollywood actress Anju Mahendru. The relationship between the dashing West Indian captain and the Indian film star captured public imagination, blending cricket and celluloid romance. Though the engagement did not lead to marriage—reportedly due to family differences—the affair remains a colorful chapter in his life.


In 1969, Sobers married Prudence “Pru” Kirby, an Australian, in a union that produced two sons, Matthew and Daniel, and an adopted daughter, Genevieve. The marriage ended in divorce in 1990, but it granted him dual Barbadian-Australian citizenship. Sobers was known for his zest for life off the field, including a love for golf and occasional high-stakes gambling, reflecting the same bold spirit he showed on the pitch.


Connection to India

Sobers shared a special bond with India and Indian cricket. His stellar 1958-59 tour showcased his mastery on Indian pitches, where he dismantled spinners like Subhash Gupte. He returned as captain in 1966-67, leading West Indies to a 2-0 series victory. Later series in the Caribbean saw competitive battles, including against a young Sunil Gavaskar. Indian fans admired his grace and sportsmanship. Sobers’ romance with Anju Mahendru further endeared him to Indian audiences, creating a cultural bridge. India honored his contributions, and he remained a revered figure in Indian cricket lore.


Sir Gary Sobers transcended statistics. He played with joy and fearlessness, inspiring generations of all-rounders like Kapil Dev, Imran Khan, and Jacques Kallis. His legacy endures in the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy and countless young cricketers who emulate his versatility. As the world of cricket bids farewell, we celebrate a life lived at the crease with unmatched brilliance. Rest in peace, Sir Gary. Your bat and ball will forever echo in the annals of the sport.


(The writer is a senior journalist based in Mumbai. Views personal.)

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