“A strong mind is one of the key components that separates the great from the good.” - Gary Player. Major Ahluwalia’s strong mind and positive attitude have culminated in impressive achievements throughout his life including his honorable military service, summiting Mt. Everest and serving as a Chairman of the Indian Spinal Injuries Centre. A bullet injury to his spine during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 resulted in his confinement to a wheelchair. After receiving treatment for his injuries Major Ahluwalia kept pursuing his passion for adventure and organized several successful expeditions. In 1993 with the support of his friends, Major Ahluwalia founded the Indian Spinal Injuries Centre (ISIC), the most advanced Spine, Orthopedic and Neuromuscular Surgical center in India, to address the unmet need for treatment of persons with spinal injury. He has also presided over several organizations related to mountaineering, rehabilitation, disabilities and exploration. Major Ahluwalia has written over a dozen books including Higher Than Everest and The Everest Within and has produced an award-winning series, Beyond Himalaya. He has been honored with numerous awards including the prestigious Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan and the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure award for lifetime Achievement.

How are you promoting advocacy for people with disabilities?M: A part of my advocacy for people with disability and disabled rights stems from my experience that I had a few months after scaling the Everest – I was seriously injured in the Indo-Pak war in September, 1965 and found myself confined to a wheelchair for life. It was a very harsh sentence to face at the young age of just 26 years; all my dreams lay shattered around me. But thanks to my training in the Army and as a mountaineer, attempting to achieve the impossible is a habit. I spent many long months in various hospitals and was finally sent to Stoke Mandeville Hospital in the UK, one of the finest hospitals in the world. Every subsequent visit to the hospital reinforced my conviction that India desperately needed such a world-class hospital – I became obsessed with my dream of building such a hospital. But it seemed to be an impossible dream, for I had no funds, no medical knowledge, no managerial experience. But climbing Everest had taught me that you don’t give up on your dreams, just re-double your efforts. With immense hard work and the blessings of family and friends, I was able to set up the Indian Spinal Injuries Centre in New Delhi which is considered a world-class hospital for the treatment of all types of spinal disorder.
At one point in time, people with disability were living in the margins of the society with an innate sense of futility grappling them. However, as a war veteran injured in the line of duty, I know physical disability is only a ruse, for the bigger challenge is to conquer the mind. So, we promote activities involving people with disabilities. In this regard, I would like to mention the celebration of Spinal Cord Injury Day, which we started in 2016. The event is aimed at enthusing people with disability and make them believe in their capabilities while showing the rest of the people that pushing disabled people to margins is a waste of potential. We have received very enthusiastic response to this event since the first year.

You have been on many expeditions. What did you learn from your experience summiting the world’s highest peak, Mt. Everest?M: The expedition in 1965 was India’s third attempt to scale those hitherto insurmountable heights after two narrow misses in 1960 and 1962 and also an audacious attempt to put 9 men on the summit for the first time. It was a humbling experience that inspires you as well to strive for the best in all endeavors in life.
My tenure in the army, cut short after being hit by a bullet in the spine in 1965 war, taught me the importance of conquering one’s mind. We had lost several oxygen cylinders at Camp III during the expedition due to an avalanche on 25th May, 1965, which virtually reduced our chances of an ascent to zero. The entire camp was under 6 feet snow and retrieving oxygen cylinders looked impossible. We were in fix and persuaded our leader Capt M S Kohli to allow us go to the camp – he relented and we climbed for 2 hours to Camp III. We dug for 6 hours fighting off cold winds and fatigue, racing against time to get our possessions and hope back. We were wearing out fast, and knowing we cannot continue like this for much longer, I looked at Sherpas – they had started praying to their Gods. I prayed to God and started digging again hoping for a miracle, for that year could have been our last chance to scale the highest peak, and the metallic sound of the cylinder as the axe struck it was as reassuring as the sound of the mother to a child. Had we given in to our fatigue that day, we may not have been able to recover the cylinders, all 20 of them, despite being so close to them.

What message do you want to convey through your books?M: My books talk about my journeys as a person with limited mobility and the reason and motives behind taking those arduous plunges. Even if someone is not interested in them, I believe the books can be read due to their sheer beauty of the journey.

How do you face obstacles in life? What keeps you moving forward?M:  As I look back at my life, I believe it is nothing but power of the mind that matters the most. The physical act of climbing a mountain is akin to the ascent of that inward spiritual mountain which every man has to climb in their life. The final triumph of the spirit is to conquer ‘The Summit of the Mind’.

What are your other hobbies?M: Playing table tennis, Gardening, reading books and Travelling .

What is your favorite place to visit? What do you love about that place?M: Mussoorie is one of my favourite places. I always wanted to be on hills. Mountains have been my inspiration from the very beginning. Having been born in Shimla, studied in Dehradun and Mussoorie and my first posting being in Kashmir. It was perhaps natural for me to love Mountains.

What is your suggestion for families of children with disabilities to empower their children?M: Families who have children with disability should not treat them as a burden or someone with limited capability. We are all gifted with the same amount of capability, the only difference is in the way they manifest themselves. Your so-called disabled child can be as intelligent and intellectual as Stephen Hawking or as gifted as Stevie Wonder. Talk to the child, try to know what they like or dislike and encourage them to follow their heart.

What tips/advice do you have for those in our community who are interested in mountaineering?M: Mountaineering is a physically-challenging activity but one can enjoy the same things in a different manner. Now that vehicles can reach even remote areas, try to get involved in activities that are helpful for the local communities living in the mountains. That can be a clean-up drive or teaching in a school or setting up a local energy grid – there are plenty of options as per your interest.

Any special message for our community?M: I believe that if we can serve the needs of all our fellow human beings without any consideration of Caste, Creed, Colour or country…if we can share knowledge and resources across the borders of the nation… We can build a global community of friendship, health and hope for all generations to come. Let us heal the world – together.