Australians missing in Nepal
Pawan Luthra: For Akash Venkataraman, this is no longer just a story about floods, a missing tour group or Australians caught in a disaster. Somewhere in the mountains of Nepal are his mom and dad, Venkat and Chitra. They traveled from Sydney on a spiritual journey to Mount Kailash, a pilgrimage that meant a great deal to them.
Their last contact with Akash came as they were traveling through the remote region near the Tibetan border. Then the floods came, communications were lost, and the family was left with the hardest thing imaginable, not knowing. Akash, his younger brother Akshay and the grandmother have been waiting for news ever since.
Akash, thank you for joining us. Akash, what was your last conversation with mum and dad?
Akash Venkatraman: I talked to dad around 5.30 am, I think Nepal time. The 3D printer at home stopped working, he was printing something for Navaratri, Golu stuff, and he was just talking. he was trying to show me the river, but it was too dark, so he couldn’t see. He really likes nature, so, you know, trying to look at that. And then he showed me mUm trying to sleep, and then we said byE.
Pawan Luthra: Right, and what time was that in Sydney?
Akash Venkatraman: I think it was 10 am.
Pawan Luthra: Right, right. Akash, now, what were they like in the days before they left Australia? Were they excited about this journey?
Akash Venkatraman: Oh yeah, they’ve been excited for a while. They’ve been prepping, training, going on walks, health checkups, everything. They’ve been doing all of it. They were super excited, yeah.
Pawan Luthra: Right, and this was a very meaningful spiritual journey for your parents. What did Mount Kailash mean to them, and why was it so important for them to make this trip?
Akash Venkatraman: I mean, I think everyone knows of this as a spiritual journey, maybe, I don’t know how to term it. But for mum and dad, it was a big thing to go there at least once. And they’ve been wanting to go for a long time. And yeah, this is it, they decided to do it. And they went for it. For them, it was just a spiritual journey and something to further their spirituality, I guess.
Pawan Luthra: Akash, at some time you went from simply worrying about them to realising you couldn’t actually contact them. Can you take us through that moment for you and your family, when you couldn’t contact them?
Akash Venkatraman: So, basically on Wednesday, for me it was business as usual. I didn’t know we couldn’t contact them. Because usually we don’t talk every few hours or something. Like, if they’ve gone out, or if I have gone out, we give each other, like, one to two days before we call each other. So, us calling on Wednesday was actually by chance. And then, so I just let it be. I went home and someone called me and they were like, are Appa and Amma reachable? And I was like, I think so. I just talked to Appa this morning and then I didn’t see the news. And then my grandma told me. I was like, okay. And we began checking the news. We were just trying to see what was going on, trying to figure out the situation, essentially. But I think none of us were immediately shocked. We all at least had some hope that they would be okay. We still do, obviously. But our main thought process was, if we’re worried and we start panicking, getting anxious, all that kind of stuff, the first thing, if they come back, they will do, is make fun of us. Like not going about our work. What would my dad want me to do in this situation? He’d want me to be as though everything is happening as usual. Do what I can, obviously, to provide information, etc. Which I have been doing. Reporting the missing, calling the embassies, etc. But other than that, I’ve been trying to keep business as usual. Obviously, my brother’s also at a similar standpoint as me.
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Pawan Luthra: Can you say how old is he?
Akash Venkatraman: He’s 17 now. He’s doing his HSC.
Pawan Luthra: How’s he coping with it all?
Akash Venkatraman: He’s doing fine from what I last remember talking to him. He’s very positive. So, yeah.
Pawan Luthra: We’re all very positive. We’re all hoping you’re going to get that phone call.
Akash Venkatraman: Yes.
Pawan Luthra: What about your grandmother? How’s she going?
Akash Venkatraman:
She’s doing fine as well. To the best extent possible. Obviously, she’s gotten more calls than any of us about the situation. I think, she’s a bit tired about talking about it again and again. I think she’s just taking her time – just seeing what she can do to help the situation is what she’s doing now, at least. I’ve taken on more of the calls, call me instead.
Pawan Luthra: Right, right. What is the hardest part about this uncertainty?
Akash Venkatraman: The uncertainty is the hardest part, right? Like, just not knowing what’s happening. But I think the worst part would be the speculations. Like, oh, they’ll be here or they might be there, or this will happen. So, my entire thing is, don’t speculate too much. We’ll find out when the authorities or they contact us. So, that is, don’t speculate too much is my main thing.
Pawan Luthra: Have the authorities been in touch with you regularly, Akash?
Akash Venkatraman: I have been in contact with them. They have called me. They called me yesterday. I called them initially on Wednesday and I got calls from them yesterday. Yeah. So, yeah, we have been talking.
Pawan Luthra: Now, when you get that call from your parents saying we are okay, what would you say to them?
Akash Venkatraman: I’d say, okay, come back. Nothing, we don’t do too much. I think we’re more of a make-fun-of-each- other, that kind of family, I guess.
Pawan Luthra: So, it’s a bit of a joker family. Everybody likes pulling each other’s legs?
Akash Venkatraman: I’d say so, yeah.
Pawan Luthra: Right. Anything else you would like to add, Akash?
Akash Venkatraman: Nothing more, really. Just thanks to you guys and everyone else who’s reaching out. Yes.
Pawan Luthra: Okay, our prayers and best wishes.
Akash Venkatraman: Thank you. I hope everyone else is also safe. Obviously, it’s not just my parents there.
Pawan Luthra: Yeah. All best wishes and prayers that there’ll be a quick phone call coming soon and they’ll be on a flight back to Sydney. All right, Akash. Thanks. Australians missing in Nepal
Akash Venkatraman: Hopefully, yeah. Thank you.
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