India is a land of contradictions. We worship our rivers, calling them Mother Ganga, Mother Narmada. Almost the entire country bows down to a female goddess nine days in a row, twice every year. This can be seen in a deep-rooted patriarchal society, with strong male-child preferences and an unfavourable female-male sex ratio due to widespread female foeticide.
That's why instances such as when an Indian Army officer spends his entire life savings to fund his twin daughters dream of completing an Explorers Grand Slam—scaling the seven highest peaks in all the seven continents along with skiing to the North and South Poles—it's a story worth telling again and again. Especially when those twins are Tashi and Nungshi Malik—the poster child of modern progressive high-achieving Indian women!
While their mountaineering exploits are well-documented—Indian Weekender (IWK) too covered those at length when the girls were special guests at our last year's Hall of Fame event—their experiences of living in a country for more than a year now, with different male-female societal dynamics, is not. (read New Zealand's peculiar "male drought" issue)
That's why IWK decided to catch up with the girls again and learn how the land of the long white cloud has treated them over the past year-and-a-half.
IWK: Please start by telling us your reasons for coming to New Zealand.
Tashi and Nungshi: Sir Edmund Hillary!
To elaborate, the New Zealand High Commission in Delhi had organised an event in 2013 to commemorate the 60 years of Sir Edmund Hillary's historic feat, which we were fortunate enough to attend. That, we would say, sparked our interest in New Zealand. We thought it would be great to experience a country where the legend of our trade learnt his lessons.
Moreover, our love for outdoors, and this being “heaven on Earth for people who love the great outdoors”, it was the obvious choice.
That's why when we were offered the NZISS, we jumped at the opportunity.
IWK: So now that you have experienced New Zealand a bit, what have you learnt?
Tashi and Nungshi: A lot! Especially in the context of gender inequality and societal attitude. Over centuries, women had faced, and continue to face, huge societal obstacles when it comes to succeeding in life. And for that to change, societal attitude, especially among men, needs to change. Men need to understand that women play an equal role in every sphere of human life.
And sadly, the situation is the same everywhere, though at different degrees. In New Zealand, which is a far more gender-equal society, rugby, played by men, gets all the funding and support, while netball, played by women, struggles.
IWK: So that's why your Foundation emphasis so much on changing attitudes?
Tashi and Nungshi: Precisely! That's why through the NungshiTashi Foundation, we aim to empower the girl child by promoting outdoors. We want to break the stereotypes and emphasise that outdoor adventures and mountaineering are for all. Girls love it, can excel in it, and can be leaders in these sports. We hope to have regular hiking and outdoor leadership programmes by the later half of this year.
We believe if we can do our bit in helping change attitudes, the rest will follow. Even the Government of India's Beti Bachao Beti Padao Yojana (save the daughter, educate the daughter) aimed at saving and empowering the girl child, which we wholeheartedly support, is also about changing societal attitudes among other things.
IWK: That's great. But now that both of you are in New Zealand, do you have plans to initiate the Foundation's work here?
Tashi and Nungshi: Certainly. We are looking to start our work in New Zealand as well, for which we are looking to partner some like-minded organisations. We might start with a few student exchange programmes and later take on women empowerment and gender issues such as tackling domestic violence, which is alarmingly high in New Zealand.
IWK: Coming to the life in New Zealand, what has been your experience?
Tashi and Nungshi: Wonderful, to say the least. Everyone has welcomed us with open arms. People here love their outdoors and keep up-to-date with other people's achievements as well. That's why we got more recognition here as compared to back home.
Whether it is the staff or students at SIT, the wider community of Invercargill, the Alpine Club in Auckland, the Rotary Club, the Canterbury Mountaineering Club, or more recently TEDx Queenstown, our experience has been extraordinary. Meeting Prime Minister John Key was a highlight too
IWK: There have been some reports in the past that Indians find it difficult to settle in places such as Invercargill, which are not so diverse. What are your thoughts on it?
Tashi and Nungshi: Our experience wasn't like that at all. Maybe because we are girls, we are pampered a lot. And everyone smiles at us. [laughs]
But, on a serious note, one does keep hearing stories of Indians finding it difficult in the job market here. That's why we keep doing whatever little we can do to encourage people. Even in our talks, we focus a lot about developing life skills, not losing hope and keep fighting. Metaphorically, 'climb higher' and 'climb better' is the only way out.
Also, due to our networks and contacts, if we find that some people can help each other out, we put them in touch.
It's not about diversity, or Invercargill, or being a Kiwi, or an Indian. From what we have seen, we have realised that all major problems of the world are caused by a fight over identities. Even gender inequality stems from gender identities.
The challenge for all of us is to embrace each other and tide over our separate identities.
IWK: That's a very mature take on our world, especially coming from two 23-year-olds. Hopefully, more and more people will listen to you. How long do you plan to stay in New Zealand?
Tashi and Nungshi: At least for the next three years, till we complete our masters and doctorate programmes.
IWK: That's the long-term plan. Any short-term goals?
Tashi and Nungshi: Yes, we want to climb and hoist the tricolour atop New Zealand's highest mountain, Aoraki/ Mount Cook, in the coming summer. We are actively seeking sponsors for this endeavour as mountaineering is an expensive sport.
Their claim to fame
In just under two years and one month, Tashi and Nungshi Malik have climbed the seven summits (highest ones in all the seven continents), skied to North and South Poles, and scaled an unnamed virgin peak alpine-style in Bara Shigri Glacier at 21,000 ft. With this, they became the world's youngest persons, first twins, and first siblings to complete the Explorers Grand Slam and three-pole challenge.
But what is even more appreciative is the motivation behind their #mission2for7 (climbing the seven peaks together). Armed with the motto “Gender equality now—fight against female foeticide”, the girls use mountaineering as a metaphor for life's climbs and breaking gender stereotypes. Recognising this, their home state of Uttarakhand has made them the brand ambassador for the Beti Bachao (save the girl child) campaign.
Notably, the world's second most populous nation has an abysmal record with regards to reining in female foeticide. So much so that as per the last census held in 2011, the child sex ratio (914 girls per 1000 boys) is at an all-time low since independence.
To put it simply in Malik sisters’ words, “India cannot realise its full potential as long as its girls and women cannot realise theirs!”
What they have been doing
• Completed the Explorers Grand Slam by skiing to the North Pole on April 21, 2015
• Completed Graduate Diploma in Sport and Exercise at the Southern Institute of Technology (SIT), Invercargill on New Zealand India Sports Scholarship (NZISS)
• Pursuing their Masters at SIT now and aiming to complete their doctorate eventually
• Started the NungshiTashi Foundation in Dehradun, India in February 2016 to promote girl empowerment through outdoors
• Attended US Department of State and Global Sports Mentoring Program (run in cooperation with University of Tennessee) in September 2015
• Talks at Canterbury Mountaineering Club in Christchurch, New Zealand Alpine Club in Auckland, and Rotary Clubs in Invercargill and Auckland, where the girls shared their journey of the Explorers Grand Slam for the cause of the Indian Girl Child
• Most recently, the Malik sisters spoke at TEDx Queenstown in April 2016 about the plight of “millions of girls in much of the developed world who have to climb their daily invisible 'mountains' merely to survive”