BREAK THAT BARRIER

The heavy transport airlift helicopter came to life as its turbines came into action. Its main blade rotor turned and generated the lifting thrust. The pilot said a silent prayer and the helicopter was airborne. The pilot shaped the course and all his passengers sat quietly waiting for the future events to unfold. They all were in for a unique mission. They were to operate with perfection and would end up breaking many barriers as the mission progressed. The helicopter crew from the Indian Air Force was ferrying a Commando Team of The Indian Army for a lifesaving mission. It was a precarious mission and many a human lives were at stake.

The big helicopter came over the hills and the helicopter crew came across the sight of the suspended cable car. In the wee hours of the morning, the crew had been briefed about the mission. The mission involved breaking of many barriers as many a firsts had to be achieved to ring in the success. The helicopter was under the command of an ace pilot who had tremendous flying experience with him. The Commando team was led by a young Major who had trained hard to be where he was on that day. The cable car hung right in the middle of the rope-way and 11 passengers including a 04 year old boy were trapped inside it. They had gone to experience the “08 minutes of pure unadulterated excitement” wherein the cable car ferried the passengers to a hill top 1.8 kms away from the start point. All these passengers wanted to break a certain barrier to feel the thrill and excitement of this 08 minute journey at the cost of Rupees 35/- per person.

The big machine had come to the drop point and both the Pilot and the Commando Team leader ran through the drill in their minds. The Cable Car had slipped from its stoppage point and had come down the rope track at a high velocity. Its door had been opened at the stop point by attendant and as the cable car went backwards, the attendant had fallen off the cliff. As the door swung back and forth and the cable car hurled, a passenger also fell out into the valley. The cable car swung ferociously before coming to a stop as the ropes entangled against obstructions and remained suspended with a drop of over 1000 feet into the rivulet flowing below. The 10 remaining passengers began an ordeal wherein each one of us started breaking various barriers of both physical and mental vagaries. They were hurt and lay still not knowing when the ropes would snap and take them into oblivion. The night fell and the cold took over the suspended passengers. There was no communication with the outside world as the mobile waves had still not penetrated the Indian skies. A slight movement of the suspended car and everyone would startle out of their stupor.

The Indian Army led the drive for the rescue mission. Many plans were discussed but the most suitable plan that could have worked was to lower a commando into the trolley and then winch the trapped persons up by a helicopter. Almost 22 hours after the ordeal began and after carrying out the survey drills, the helicopter had arrived above the Cable Car. A packet containing food and water was the first one to be lowered into the trolley. The dehydrated passengers saw a ray of hope as their parched throats became wet. The attempts were then made to lower the young Major into the cable car and finally after 25 hours of the ordeal, Major Ivan Joseph Crasto of the Indian Army entered the Cable Car through the roof hatch as the helicopter piloted by Group Captain Fali Major (later Air Chief Marshal Fali Major) hovered above. His mere sight inside the Cable Car gave a huge relief to the inmates as Major Ivan broke another barrier in their lives.

Major Ivan had a job at hand. He was a trained Commando and a daredevil at that. He now had to ensure that each passenger of the cable car climbed on the roof and was strapped to a chair before the helicopter team winched them up. The passengers were untrained, traumatized and fear of vertigo loomed large. The day ended with 5/10 passengers lifted away into the helicopter and moved away to safety. Major Ivan Crasto stayed back in the cable car to comfort the passengers and assure them of their safety. He had touched a new barrier and along with him lifted the barriers of the remaining 05 stranded passengers. As the helicopter winched away the 05 passengers, a ropeway mechanic reached the cable car from the upper end using a rope and carried with him food, water and blankets. His dare devilry was unique too and he scaled a barrier for himself.

The morning came and the heavy lift helicopter re-appeared. Within a few hours all the remaining passengers were air lifted and Major Ivan Crasto became the last one to move out of the cable car. The brave pilot kept the helicopter absolutely steady and hovered clear of the ropes even as the passengers were being forked up. The focused minds of the rescue team helped to break the barriers of uncertainty. Major Ivan Crasto and Group Captain Fali Major went on to meet the next barriers of their respective lives.

In each human life, we come across barriers of various kinds. They can be physical or mental barriers. Humans have to show courage and conviction to overcome the mental barriers and physical barriers need a fair amount of physical strength. The barrier merits an attempt and humans have to overcome the barriers to taste the proverbial success. But what happens to those humans who break their barriers? Do they change their behavior patterns after they cross over successfully? Does the challenge not trouble them anymore? Do they give up too easily as the further challenges do not excite them thereafter? It can be analyzed that human behavior does show a change when they break barriers. This leads to them gunning for more such targets or makes them complacent about their future. If they run for more such targets they achieve further milestones before various other factors make them call it a day. If they do not run for more targets, then the milestones dry up after they refuse to challenge themselves.

Humans have to fight for their survival. There is no escape from the vagaries of life. The barriers keep emerging intermittently and there is no set pattern. No days and years are alike. In human lives, things change instantly and nothing is certain. Plans can fail and hopes can disappear without any notice. But what remains with the humans is their ability to break the barriers. Humans have to decide how to take on the barriers, break them apart, move on and be ready to meet the next barrier. The important issue is to remain grounded even as the barrier emerges. After all, the humans are most comfortable with their feet on the ground. One should not become complacent as the barrier is broken as who knows when the next one would emerge. Most barriers, if not broken, lead to negative effects. No human thrives under pressure and chaos, but, the ability to judge and break the barriers makes one belief that pressure and chaos leads to the best for some.

Adrenalin pumps hard each time humans approach the barrier. Finally the pumping has to be so hard that the Adrenalin breaks its own barrier, energizes the human mind and the actions emerge which breaks yet another barrier. Are you, by any chance, staring at a barrier? If you are, then, just collect your wits, move ahead and break that barrier.

           

Do you have it in you, eh?