At the peak of Magic in the Himalayas...

Base camp at 234 Transit Camp’s Officers’ Mess. The morning on 5th Nov. had the usual chill there. The curtains of fog were down everywhere. Still, like graceful artistes, butterflies fluttered here and there and winter birds chirped majestically. The Vismay Swaraj Yatra entourage was ready for an expedition to the Himalayas.
Subedar Rajinder Chowdhuri alerted them to get into a modified military bus. The bus had the capacity to protect its commuters from climatic severities. The vehicle moved. From 5 Miles point, army’s specially made apparels to beat the cold were gathered. Crossing the ice-cold lake Tsongu, the vehicle proceeded through elevated, roads that were too narrow to allow at a time two vehicles in opposite directions.
Unfathomable depths along the edges the roads were indeed scary. As the vehicle conquered heights, thick cover of clouds concealed those horrifying sights. After three hours, the magic team was carried to Nathu La, the elevated trade corridor between India and China. They were led to a short passage of steps. Though their hearts were full of renewed energy, the magic troupe moved slowly. They were led by the words of Commanding Officer Col. K.N. Radhakrishnan: ‘don’t try to be a Gamma in the land of Lama’. That means you have to be as passive at Nathu La as you can or will faint of Oxygen shortage. Yes, Nathu La also had a passive history. Even though a famous point at the ancient Silk Route, Nathu La was reopened for trade only last year after a closure of over four decades owing to a dispute between the two nations.
While returning, Mr. Chowdhury complimented: “It’s for the first time that I found a civilian team returning without any of them fainting. This proves that all of you are healthy. Congratulations”. Nathu La has this message: be energetic in your hearts even as you are passive.

Vismay Swaraj Yatra team sets a world record at Nathu La

Gangtok, Sikkim: Magician Gopinath Muthukad and team who are marching through the nation with a meaningful magical mission Vismay Swaraj Yatra, have set an unchallengeable world record at Nathu La Pass at the Indo-China border, 54 kilometers away from here. The magician and his 26-member entourage including seven girls performed patriotic magic shows at the heights of 14400 feet above Sikkim battling the minus temperatures, low pressure and deficient Oxygen. In a place where an excited talk for a few minutes or walk for a few steps would leave one breathless, Mr. Muthukad had separate shows in front of the Indian soldiers and their Chinese counterparts.
Atop, Mr. Muthukad and team was at first offered a warm welcome by the Commanding Officer of the Nathuala 5 Grenadier Unit, Major Sanjiv Roy and his colleagues. As the magic show began at 11a.m., crossing the borders of enjoyment were Indian as well as Chinese soldiers who were standing on two sides of a barbed wire fence.
Noticing the curiosity of the Chinese, the magician invited them near the fence and performed a few tricks with their help. He gave three small rings to the Chinese soldiers. When these rings were thrown to air, they joined together and came down in the form of a big tricolour circle. The message was clear: countries should nurture broadmindedness in the place of narrow-mindedness for the sake of peaceful co-existence.
A video conferencing has enabled a live telecast of the Vismay Swaraj Yatra’s Nathu La mission for the Sukna Station of the Indian Army. National integration magic show was also staged in front of the officers and jawans of the Nathu La Unit.