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By:

C.S. Krishnamurthy

21 June 2025 at 2:15:51 pm

Ekta Bhyan, Quiet Gold

The strongest lessons in life rarely arrive with drumbeats. They come quietly, sit beside us, and stay long after the applause fades. I learnt this at the recent Peakst8 Festival in the world-class Padukone-Dravid Centre for Sports Excellence Bengaluru. The venue was full of ambition, energy, loud confidence and polished success stories. Yet, it was gold-winning para-athlete Ekta Bhyan who held my attention, not by raising her voice, but by lowering the noise around her. She was an integral...

Ekta Bhyan, Quiet Gold

The strongest lessons in life rarely arrive with drumbeats. They come quietly, sit beside us, and stay long after the applause fades. I learnt this at the recent Peakst8 Festival in the world-class Padukone-Dravid Centre for Sports Excellence Bengaluru. The venue was full of ambition, energy, loud confidence and polished success stories. Yet, it was gold-winning para-athlete Ekta Bhyan who held my attention, not by raising her voice, but by lowering the noise around her. She was an integral part of a panel discussing what it takes to reach the Olympics. Others spoke of pressure, fame and sacrifice. Ekta spoke of routine. Of turning up. Of patience. There were no heroic flourishes in her words. Each sentence was measured, calm and grounded. Listening to her, I sensed a deep reserve of experience. She was not trying to impress. She was simply explaining how life had unfolded. A spinal injury, in 2003, had left her paralysed. This is usually where stories pause for sympathy. Ekta’s does not. She spoke of rebuilding, not rebelling. Of learning what the body could still do, and then working patiently within those limits. Para sport entered her life quietly, not as rescue, but as direction. Over time, she found her space in the F51 club throw, a demanding discipline where balance, precision and control matter more than force. What stayed with me was her restraint. She mentioned podium finishes only in passing. International meets, Asian Para Games, world championships, all appeared briefly and then moved aside. Even the gold medal she had earned was referred to almost casually, as one would mention a milestone on a long road. For her, medals are not destinations. They are confirmations. Steely Discipline Ekta spoke about training. It is not exciting, she said. It repeats itself. Progress hides. Muscles resist. The mind looks for shortcuts. Yet commitment must remain steady. She described days when success meant completing a session without excuses. On some mornings, it was finishing gym work despite fatigue. Evenings meant outdoor practice, carefully timed because regulating body temperature is a constant challenge after spinal injury. For nearly three years, she has not missed a single day of training. With limited muscle use and only about forty per cent lung capacity, each session needs careful planning. Her shoulders are her strongest allies. Other muscles cooperate less. Fingers offer no strength at all. Still, she works with what she has. Over the last four years, this discipline has translated into results. Gold medals at national championships. A bronze at the Asian Para Games. Gold and bronze at the World Championships in Paris in 2023. This season alone, she added gold at the Indian Open Paralympic Championships and a silver soon after. Her personal best stands at 21.5 metres, and she speaks of improving it, not defending it. There was a gentler revelation too. As a young girl, Ekta had once dreamt of becoming a doctor. She wanted to heal. Life rewrote the syllabus. Yet, listening to her, I realised she still heals. Not with medicine, but with example. Her journey treats assumptions and restores belief, quietly and effectively. Human Moment After the session, when the crowd thinned, I walked up to her with my notebook. I asked for her autograph, expecting a quick signature. She paused, asked my name, and wrote hers carefully. That small act reflected everything she had spoken about. Presence. Respect. Attention. Her daily life, she earlier shared, is not simple. She needs two people to help with routine movements, from transferring to travel. Public transport is impossible. Every trip requires planning, space and expense. Often, she bears the cost for three people, not one. Yet, she spoke of this without complaint. The harder challenge, she said, is mindset. People with disabilities are still seen as separate from the mainstream. Expectations are lowered, often disguised as kindness. Ekta resists this quietly. Her competition is internal. Yesterday versus today. Comfort versus effort. Paralysis, she believes, is a condition, not an identity. As I left the venue, the applause felt inadequate. Not because it was soft, but because her journey asks for reflection, not noise. Ekta Bhyan reminds us that ambition can change shape without losing meaning. That success does not always announce itself. Sometimes, it arrives quietly, balanced and consistent. Her strength lies not only in the distance she throws, but in the steadiness she maintains. And in that quiet balance, Ekta Bhyan offers us something rare. A lesson that stays long after the hall has emptied.   (The writer is a retired banker and author of ‘Money Does Matter.’)

The Enchanting Fest

From commandos to judges and actors to athletes—voices united to spark a revolution in the youth.

One of Asia's biggest festivals, conducted annually by St Xavier’s College, the Malhar Fest, concluded on a high note on 16th August. Musician Chaar Diwari’s concert was the perfect finale act to conclude the power-packed fest. This was the 46th edition of the fest and was held on 14, 15, and 16 of August, 2025. It was a perfect three-day fest, with rain pouring down heavily almost every day, but it did not hold the crowd back from attending the fest. The crowd's energy was in tandem with the rain, making the fest more zestful.


The Malhar Fest is the flagship fest of St Xavier's College and is the much-awaited fest of the year. This year, the theme was ‘The World Within’. When people focus on the outside world, the Malhar Fest, through its theme, reminds us that the world within is what makes the world outside us. With a workforce of around 700–800 students from various courses across the college, they came together to execute the Malhar Fest, setting yet another benchmark in the inter-collegiate festivals. The fest consisted of engaging events, inspiring conclave sessions, interactive workshops, and a high-powered concert. Performing arts and literary arts were the two main domains under which various events were conducted.


The Conclave Session

The theme, ‘Leher: Ripple Today, A Revolution Tomorrow’, of the Conclave session invites us to focus on one of the main aspects of youth’s personality, which is to innovate and create a ripple, empowering a change in society. The conclave session was held on the 15th and 16th of August. The speakers’ list was a perfect blend of personalities, from backgrounds like acting, law, sports, business, and authorship.


On the first day, the keynote address was delivered by Dr. Seema Rao, a revolutionary, the first and only woman commando trainer, “The Wonder Woman of India”. While sharing her life experiences, she instilled the traits of fearlessness, discipline, endurance, etc., into the youth present there. She focused on the hardships of life and delivered a thoughtfully curated speech aligning with the theme.


This session was followed by the session of the glamorous star cast of ‘Saare Jahan se Accha’, Pratik Gandhi, Anup Soni, Kritika Kamra, and Sunny Hinduja; their presence elated the atmosphere of the session.

The actors discussed college life and the struggles faced while pursuing their careers. Next to this session was SaiyamiKher’s session. Known for her extravagant roles in films, the St. Xavier’s College alumna talked about her journey and how college life at St. Xavier’s helped her navigate her work life.

Then came the entrepreneurial session with the founders of Benne Dosa, Akhil Iyer and Shriya Narayan. They conversed about taking risks in life and failure being a part of everyone’s life.


The concluding session of Day 1 was ironically the first sports session in Malhar’s history, with the panel consisting of Anmol Mazumdar (Head Coach of the Indian Women's Cricket Team), Bhagyashree Jadhav (a para-athlete and Paralympian), and Suma Shirur, a shooter (2004 Olympic finalist). They exchanged views on the woman’s role in the sports field. They mentioned the role of sports in their lives and how it taught them the hardest lessons of life.


Adding more energy to the atmosphere, the fest also witnessed the stellar performance of the star cast of the upcoming film, ‘Param Sundari’, Janhvi Kapoor and Siddharth Malhotra. The stars were present there to promote their film.


Day 2 started with the keynote address by Honourable Justice Revati Mohite Dere. Her words of wisdom left an everlasting impact on the youth. Speaking under the theme, she explicitly talked about the role of the judiciary in shaping society. Furthermore, she added that ‘impact’ is a critical part of revolution.


The main session of the day was with the politician, SupriyaSule, who spoke extensively on the topic of policy-making and also interacted with the youth in the audience. She highlighted that “policy making is an opportunity to change people's lives”. She encouraged the young leaders to consider politics as a career field and lead a revolution themselves if needed. The last two sessions were with the author Ashwin Sanghi and Aditya Roy Kapur, a Bollywood actor. Author Ashwin Sanghi, also an alumnus, spoke about the power of writing and storytelling. Aditya Roy Kapur, while offering insights into the world of cinema, also interacted with the audience by answering their questions.


The conclave team did an excellent job in curating and selecting the perfect speakers for the session that not only influenced the youth but also deeply resonated with this year’s theme. The fest was orchestrated and presented beautifully by the Malhar team. The exuberant crowd made this fest more engaging and youthful, raising the expectations for next year.


(The writer is a student in a college in Mumbai.)

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