Criminal Neglect by Travel agency almost kills a pilgrim to Kailash Manasarovar

A group of 50 pilgrims was cheated, mistreated and exposed to grave danger by their travel agency enroute to Kailash (in the Himalayas).

Hundreds of Hindu pilgrims attempt to visit Kailash Manasarovar - the abode of Lord Shiva and thus the holiest of all pilgrimage sites. These pilgrims are taken to China by travel agencies who have the license to organize tours and operate in China from the Chinese government. When people go through these agencies their passports are not stamped by the Chinese government and separation from the group means they can be apprehended and prosecuted by Chinese government as aliens or illegal travellers. This procedure places pilgrim groups at the travel agencies' mercy who promise the mountain and grudgingly deliver basic necessities like food, water and oxygen at high altitudes where smallest neglect can be fatal.

Recently, a group of 55 pilgrims were victim to such a travel agency, Shreshtha Holidays. The group was grossly ill treated and subjected to criminal neglect almost killing a pilgrim.

The group began its journey to Manasarovar on 31st May. Shreshtha Holidays promised the group amongst other amenities an adequate number of toilet tents, 1 jeep for every 4 pilgrims, an oxygen tank in each jeep, air compressor bags, medical aid and vegetarian food without onion and garlic (the group was of those Hindu Brahmins who consider onion and garlic inauspicious vegetables. The group chose Shreshtha Holidays over other agencies because it promised to provide onion garlic free food). We interviewed some members of this pilgrim group and the ground reality of how Shreshtha Holidays broke all its promises and ill treated these pilgrims including some old people and kids is shocking.

Kailash Manasarovar is at the terrible height of 14947.5 ft above mean sea level. An average human being begins to experience difficulty in breathing and height sickness at 3000m above sea level. Common sense dictates that an agent must carry ample oxygen for every member of the group but Shreshtha Holidays did not deem it necessary. When members of the group began to feel sick they realized there was not enough oxygen. A young boy of 19 years fainted due to lack of oxygen while another middle aged woman almost died due to lack of medical amenities.

The agent did not carry ample oxygen or air compressor bags. He didn’t even have a blood pressure monitor or a stethoscope. As altitudes increased, many travellers began feeling ill. One of the travellers, Mrs. Harsha, had to be admitted to a hospital due to a lack of oxygen and extremely low blood pressure. The travellers approached the agent to help with the transporation and admission of Mrs. Harsha to the hospital, but they found him drunk, incoherent, and useless to any cause; this happened frequently throughout the trip. Mrs. Harsha’s condition would not have worsened as it did if they could have measured her blood pressure earlier and not proceeded to higher altitudes.

At high altitudes, doctors advise travellers to drink plenty of water and pass urine as often as they can. If Mrs. Harsha and many others in the group could have done that much sickness and discomfort could have been avoided. However, the travellers had to ration their drinking water as the agency did not provide them enough drinking water!

The pilgrims were promised that adequate medical help would be available at all times. Not only did that promise turn out false but the group realized to their utter horror that they could not inform the Chinese doctors names of drugs they were allergic to as they had Chinese names in China. Members of the group we interviewed said if they had known they could have researched and found out the Chinese names of drugs they were allergic to. While all members suffered from altitude sickness, Mrs. Harsha’s condition worsened to such degree that her family had to hire a helicopter to bring her down to lower altitude. As we report this she is still under medical observation and her family fears she could have suffered a silent heart attack.

We interviewed the young daughter of Mrs. Harsha (name withheld due to sensitivity) who said she was afraid she would lose her mother. She also informed us (corroborated by other group members) that the Agent was rude, lethargic and callous when asked to help the family procure a helicopter. The family had to pay almost 12,000 US dollars to procure the helicopter. She also said when they asked the Agent if the family of 4 could go together in the copter Agent said yes but when the copter came the pilot refused to allow this young girl and her old grandmother to sit in the copter with her parents. This young lady (daughter of Mrs. Harsha) said to us :

“It is ironical that in God’s land my mother was saved by power of money. I am glad it was my mother who suffered and not mother of those who could not have afforded that copter which saved my Mom’s life.”

This is an outright case of criminal neglect and deficiency in services. We support the group of 55 pilgrims and any other pilgrim who might have faced such adversities during their travel to Manasarovar and encourage them to write to us about their experiences.

The group has written letters to the Indian embassy in China and intends to criminally prosecute the agency. Below is a copy of one of the letters sent to the Embassy from the group:

Date: May 10/11, 2009
To,

The Ambassador
The Indian Embassy
Kathmandu
Nepal

Subject: Deficiency in service, cheating, seizure of passport, threatening by Mr. R Pradhan of Shreshtha Holidays, our travel agent and risking lives of pilgrimages.

Dear sir,

I Rajendra Harsh having passport no. H3325395 with my family members, my wife, Mrs Anjana Harsha, passport no. H3325387 daughter, Miss Soumyaa Harsha passport no. H0227477 and my mother in law, Mrs Tara Joshi passport no. H3925992 have travelled in a group of 55 persons organized by Shreshtha Holidays having offices in Mumbai, New Delhi and Kathmandu and would like to convey the following:
1. Shreshtha holidays charged us Rs 72,000 per person for a trip from Kathmandu to Kathmandu which included our travel to Kailash and Mansarovar, including boarding, lodging and conveyance which included stay at Shangri la hotel in Kathmandu and 2/3 star hotels on the way and camping with bio-toilet during Kailash parikrama. They also assured us that all the land cruisers by which we will be travelling will have oxygen and our group will be provided with doctor with all first aid medical facilities.
2. We reached Kathmandu on 29th May and started our yatra on 31st May. On 30th Mr. R. Pradhan told us that you all will need a special Jacket and for which he would charge us Rs. 450/- per person. He purposely told us just on the eve of departure so that we can not check the rates outside. Later on I came to know that if we would have bought from market it would cost us lesser than the rent he was charging. He also told us on that evening that you need to buy Chinese currency of at least 500/- Yuans if you need pithu during the Yatra and 1000/- Yuan if you need to have both the horse and pithu but this booking he will not do here and will do it during Yatra only. He converted our money Indian Rs to yuan on 30th May in night at the cost of Rs 8/- per yuan. I do not know he had license to do this or not and now I am sure he charged much higher rate than what he should have charged from all of us. Our group must have bought from him at least 40,000 to 50,000 yuans. At that time we never doubted him because it was starting but when I look back I understand that his briefing us at last minute and selling yuan, renting jackets was with shear ulterior motive to cheat us. Our whole group told Mr. Pradhan that we are vegetarian and we do not take onion and garlic. Mr. pradhan assured us the same and told that they will not even carry onion and garlic.
3. On the very first day(31/05/2009) on the way to Kodari he told us that your lives are in danger because ahead on road agitation is going on and villagers have blocked the road and he will negotiate with them so every passanger will have to pay Rs 800/- per person to pay to villagers. His representative Mr. Rawat who was drunk throughout the trip told us that if we do not pay we will have to delay the yatra by one day. We had no choice but had to pay .He took away the money and did not pay anything to villager at least in front of us. I am sure it should have been his responsibility to transport us without any extra charges. He did not inform while booking that it is frequent problem in Nepal and such charges will be extra. He purposely cheated us by creating imaginary problems because when we passed through we did not see any agitating group on the way. Whenever we wanted to talk he was not available and will be seating in some jeep. He would surface only when he wanted some money. We were always left with Sherpas, drivers and one so called captain. Most of them will neither speak English or Hind and we did not know Tibetan or Chinese language.
4. The first day(31/05/2009) we were supposed to cross Chinese border and stay in China but he stopped us at Kodari in Nepal only. In the so called hotel which was worse than a third class lodge had only two toilets and bathrooms for around thirty passengers and the same was the position for balance members of the group. On this first day he did not provide lunch on the way which he was supposed to provide. He did not even provide tea to us in afternoon.
5. Next day(01/06/2009) we were taken to the border of Nepal and China and after crossing the friendship bridge we found that our permit was not available with him. We all had to wait under SUN for nearly 6 hours. He did not provide water, tea and lunch on this day also. On the same day we reached in late evening to Nyalam and he informed us that his food truck has got breakdown and therefore he can not give us dinner also and he did not made any arrangements. It is important to note that such news were always delivered to us through some Sherpa who could not do anything as he did not have any authority. In midnight at 12.00 he woke up and told us that he has arranged Khichadi without any butter, vegetable, pickle or papad. He always use to say us that it is pilgrimage and God makes you to suffer you are not here for food but for bhakti. It is because of me you are getting whatever you have otherwise you will be in horrible position. When we use to argue he will disappear and none of us knew Chinese language so could not communicate anybody ,our permit was with us and visa was not stamped on individual passport and therefore we had no choice but under mental duress had to keep him happy and he exploited us. Because of no lunch last day and no lunch and dinner today two passengers Mr. Vishal Vyas and Mrs. Sadhana Vyas became unconscious and he could not provide doctor or medicine. Luckily we had one doctor who was travelling with us gave some medicine. It was utter negligence and inhumane attitude of Mr. Rawat towards the life of his clients. He neither had medicine and doctor nor had taken it seriously and always use to say have courage such things does happen and you should not bother. In a day or two you will be OK. In Nyalam only my wife also had bad stomach and weakness because of no or improper food and water. After reaching Nayalam we came to know that there is no hot water was available for bathing which he promised to us. He promised us 2 star facilities but here hotel room was shared by around 8-10 person with no attached toilets. There were common toilets which were not clean and had only half partitions. Among 55 of us there were 3 toilets for men and 3 toilets for women and no bathrooms.
6. Next day (2/06/2009) our group was already delayed by one day and he kept us at Nayalam because he did not have bookings for us for next stop. The food which he supplied us was half cooked and gave many a bad stomach.
7. We reached to Saga on 3/06/2009 and according to the brochure and promise we were to stay at a 2 star hotel, but were kept at dormitory- like rooms with no proper sanitation facilities. For toilets we were told to go in open ground where wild dogs were roaming and as we were supposed to leave in morning we had to go for toilets in open grounds when temperatures will be zero or sub zero. We did not have even hot water for going to toilets and we were also not given toilet papers. In such inhumane conditions he kept us which we could not think after giving around INR 80,000 per person and totaling to around 44 lacs of Rupees for one group. We had to buy mineral water, which was supposed to be provided by them. Water was a major problem because to survive at high altitudes one must drink a lot of water. Lack of mineral water made many feel sick.
8. We reached to Prayang on 4/06/2009. Mr. Rawat did not have booking even here and after reaching there he took us to a place which in no sense you can a hotel or lodge. In evening without caring our religious feelings he put onion and garlic in the vegetable and as he used give only one vegetable many of us forced to eat onion garlic because they did not have choice and some did not even food. My wife was one of them who did not eat because of onion. In evening he told us that because of poornima (as if he did not earlier about poornima ) there is shortage of pithus and horses so you will have to pay 1500 yuan for both per person instead of 1000 yuan as expected. He again cheated and charged more money then promised in Kathmandu. Again in Prayang there were no toilet facilities and we had to go to open grounds with wild animals roaming around without hot water and you can imagine the position of Indian ladies. Here again the temperature in night becomes zero and in such temperature opening your undergarments and exposing yourself to the vagaries’ of nature was such an inhumane condition which we were not told at the time of booking.
9. In the morning of 5/06/2009 at Prayang my wife got very sick and only then we realized that they did not even have any stethoscope, life saving drugs, antibiotics, injections, disposable syringes or any doctor. Also they did not have the most important thing, oxygen which they claimed to have had. Only 2 cars instead of 14 had oxygen cylinders, whose capacity was only 3 to 4 hours. My wife got very serious. Her brain got disoriented and even 15 minutes without oxygen made her face turn blue. Doctor in our group gave a steroid (life saving drug) to save my wife. Mr. Rawat did not do anything and did not have any such drug with him. We needed more steroid tablets till we reach to low altitude. Mr. Rawat told us that the best thing for us to go to Takalakote where Military Hospital is there and you will be evacuated by Helicopter to Kathmandu. He also informed that steroid medicines will be available and we need not to worry. We left for the hospital in Taklakot but the oxygen ran out before we could reach the hospital. We reached to the hospital in late afternoon. We shown the drug to doctors there and they told us that they do not English and therefore can not know what is this drug. When I asked Mr. Rawat to send back the driver for which we all four already paid for the whole trip has refused to send him till I pay further money Yuan 500/- I told him that last night only I paid you Yuan 3000/- for horse and as you have not yet booked the same return this money to me but he did not return the money and asked further money for hospital and jeep. After the payment of money only he sent the person. Sir when my family of four had already paid for Jeep throughout the tour up to 12th June he should not have asked the money. Not only this he also asked 100 yuan for food to be brought from market whereas he was to pay for all meals up to 13th may till we leave Kathmandu. After reaching the hospital Mr. Rawat told us that we require permit to leave the country and he will be arranging the same not today but in morning. When I asked what happened to the Helicopter which you told is ready on the other side of border at Hilsa, he told me that how it can come when you have not finalized and paid for helicopter. At that time I talked to my friend in India who found out the telephone no of Mr. R Pradhan and asked about the help. He told that you have to pay for helicopter for rescue up to Kathmandu INR 6.0 lacs and he promised that helicopter will have oxygen and Gama Bag for respiration. Through my friend I paid advance INR 3.0 lacs in shreshtha account on 06/06/2009. On 06/06/09 morning when Mr. Rawat made us goodbye at the hospital and when we reached near to the border we came to know that we will have to walk for around 2 kilometers in hilly terrain and my wife could not even stand on her own. With great difficulties and payment of around 1000 yuan I arranged local persons from china and Hilsa(Nepal) border to carry my wife on back, at some place in a small cement trolley which was there for some construction work. I only know how we could cross the border. After reaching to Hilsa on Nepal side at 10.45 I found there was no helicopter. When I called Mr. Pradhan he told me it has already started and within 20 minutes it will reach. Sir you will not believe that helicopter came to Hilsa at 6.00 PM. He told me that because of agitation it got delayed. I do not know when helicopter already started how it was stopped on the way. Sir you know I had limited oxygen for my wife and with great difficulty she survived additional hours because of rationing of the oxygen by me. Sir please visualize the episode was witnessed by my 65 years old mother in law and my 19 years old daughter. With what agony we had passed through no body can imagine. When checked Helicopter did not have Gama Bag and I had no choice but to risk the life of my wife again. In one and half hour we reached to Nepalgung and he told we have to stay here and we will go to Kathmandu tomorrow by flight. One person of Shreshtha came to receive us and he collected our passports for entry. I admitted my wife to local Medical college hospital and we stayed there for three days. When I asked about my passports I was told that the passports have been sent to Kathmandu and I will get the same only after I pay balance money. Sir before flying to Kathmandu on 9/06/09 I again paid Rs1.0 lac to Shreshtha account and when I reached here his man came and asked my signature on a bill and only after paying Rs. 2 lacs in Shreshtha account he released our passports.
10. When I reached at Kathmandu airport nobody came to receive us and take to hotel which was promised by Mr. Pradhan. When I asked Mr. Pradhan he told me that Kathmandu is closed he can not help and he also threatened me. I arranged my own taxi and came to hotel. I found on the way that Kathmandu was normal and no signs were there of Bandh or strike.
11. Sir after reaching to hotel I came to know that he had booked me only for one day whereas my tour ends on 13th June. Sir I have my bookings with my group on 13 th and if I cancel my tickets I will not get any refund. Further to book tickets now I have to pay additional Rs. 1.00 lac. Moreover my wife can not take strain of going to Ahmadabad because it has to change the flight at Delhi from international terminal to domestic one. Sir after coming to Kathmandu I checked in market I found that the helicopter services from Nepalgunj to Hilsa and back air tickets from Nepalgwith misc expenses would not cost more than Rs 3.00 lacs where he has charged 6.0 lacs. Sir it seems that he purposely do not give proper food and water so that people get sick and he make them believe it is because nature and high altitude moreover no medical facility creates crises and he takes benefit of the saving expenses on breaking of journey and charging them extra for evacuation. Sir I have information that in parikrma from my group only 15 out of 55 could go and balance had to come back without parikrama. How much money he saved imagine. He charged me INR 1.5 lac per member just for evacuation whereas his standard package by helicopter to Kailash Mansarovar of 7 days stay in Himalaya with all conveyances, lodging boarding is only Rs 1.35 lacs.

Sir I contacted today Mr.A. K. Roy in Indian Embassy in Kathmandu and he wanted the same in writing which I am giving now. Sir I pray for following

1. To protect life of mine and my family from Mr. Pradhan of Shreshtha Holidays.
2. Treat this letter as FIR and start legal action against the Shrestha Holidays in India. He should be given punitive punishment by law so that lives of further Indians are not in danger.
3. Blacklist Shreshtha Holidays and get his all licenses forfeited in India, Nepal and China.
4. Please ensure that all tour operators operating in Himalayas and especially Kailash Mansarovar arranges for proper food, mineral water availability, hot water for bathing, sanitation, medical and doctor facilities.
5. In case if it is required please also contact Chinese Embassy to look in the matter and get conditions improved for tourists of Kailash Mansarovar yatra.

I look forward to your support for getting justice for me and protection for other Indians lives in future.

If you support this group of pilgrims trying to get justice, write to us and we will take your voice to Indian media and government.