Ninety-five days, 2,733 kilometres, and a dream to trace the mighty Ganga from its source at Gaumukh to where it meets the Bay of Bengal at Gangasagar. For Rency Thomas, the challenge wasn't 'how' to achieve this feat but to complete it before his arthritis worsened.
When I met Thomas in Delhi, I could barely recollect his chronic illness until I noticed his deformed finger. Upon seeing the swollen index finger, Thomas' second in a row, I was momentarily speechless. But the glint in his eyes and a brightening smile instantly translated my pity into pride. It made me see the bounds of human strength, with Thomas as its living testament.
"We cannot let circumstances define our existence and dim our light," he told me. Like his father, who served in the Border Security Force, Thomas wanted to join the armed forces. The Indian Air Force is what he dreamt of. He did live his dream as an NCC Air Wing Cadet in college, flying Microlight Aircraft, until he was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), an incurable autoimmune disease.
The illness drew curtains on his defence dream and left him bedridden for six months. However, it couldn't shatter his passion for adventure sports. "The pain from arthritis has been my driving force to immerse myself fully in the outdoors. Nature has been my solace, offering relief and profound joy amidst the health challenges." His resilience led him to build an adventure tourism firm Live360 Adventures in Himachal Pradesh's Manali.
When Thomas led an eight-women crew for a motorboat expedition across the Ganga River in 2015, he realised that there was so much for him to explore. The journey introduced him to the unparalleled strength of his potential as he desired to put his skills to the test. From trekking to kayaking, this time, he wanted to traverse the holy river and its challenging terrain solely via human strength; hence, the idea of a "human-powered" expedition.
The holy river is a source of devotion and water for India's billion-plus population. From ghats to reservoirs, the Ganges holds myriad roles, with Hindus fondly addressing her as Maa Ganga. Thomas wanted to delve deeper into the river's significance and explore it beyond as a source of spirituality. "The river is magical. From its effusive waves to a balmy flow, I saw it all. Each form reminded me of life's ebbs and flows." The river, with its mystical ways, challenged him, calmed him, and sometimes tested his perseverance. "There were many breaking points, days when my pain would resurface, so intense that ending the expedition seemed like the only option."
Setting out on November 4, 2023, the "human-powered" journey involved strenuous activities such as trekking, mountain biking, white water kayaking, and sea kayaking. Following a month-long training in the Kerala backwaters, the 37-year-old ventured on this voyage of a lifetime, now holding the prospects of a Guinness World Record.
Commencing from Gaumukh, Thomas trekked 23 kilometres initially, followed by mountain biking to reach Devprayag, Uttarakhand. After a brief halt at the Nehru Institute Of Mountaineering in Uttarkashi to get his bike fixed, he continued his descent journey, covering 800 kilometres. For the white-water journey, Thomas kayaked 60 km to Rishikesh. He then travelled downstream for 1,850 km until the Ganges merged into the Indian Ocean, culminating the journey on February 6, 2024.
An expedition as exacting as this "human-powered" is not possible without a skilled support staff. Thomas, too, dedicates his success to his team comprising his wife Ponni M Nath, Yog Raj, Namgyal Goba and Pramod Rana. "My support staff was my sole source of strength. Whenever we lost track of each other, they would ensure that our stay for the next few days was in place, making their way through roadless terrains, bushy fields and sometimes a dense jungle." Staying in touch was challenging at times. There were routes where our car, which had all the supplies, couldn't make it, and the team had to walk for several kilometres."
Travelling cultivates a sense of purpose. Touring across five states: Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal made Thomas familiar with the sentiment of the local populace. It was no longer about the incense-infused aroma or ash-laden seers at Varanasi ghats but what lies beyond the flight of stairs. For Thomas, the ghats are enveloped in a mirage of sanctity. Discerning a lackadaisical approach towards cleanliness, he pointed out how the holy river, inside and out, was pale and polluted. Open defecation is a dominant sight, he said. "The problem lies with the inherent hypocrisy. The people who offer prayers in the morning will not hesitate to defecate at the same spot."
From UP to Bihar, the shoddy state of toilets bothered Thomas despite years of campaigns to make India Open Defecation Free (ODF). Floating plastic bottles and trash-laden river banks downplay the significance of initiatives to restore India's holiest river. Thomas took it upon himself to not let the opportunity pass by and interacted with locals such as the Nishad fishermen community, farmers, Yadavs and others on keeping the river clean. It was an inspiring sight for them to see a man paddling his way to the shore. "The locals were curious and kind-hearted. From food to shelter, they treated us with utmost respect and warmth."
He, however, feels that a lot needs to be done for the betterment of the communities living near the wetlands. From toilet infrastructure and quality education to equal opportunity, people are still deprived of basic amenities, sometimes due to their caste and sometimes due to their religion.
Completing an expedition as monumental as this nearly 100-day journey is an achievement deserving admiration. It wasn't just an excursion; it was Thomas' vision to immerse himself in India's waters. His perseverance remained unshaken until one day, he found himself in the middle of the river, making urgent calls to gather funds, realizing that the journey might have to be cut short if the necessary support wasn't secured.
It left him emotionally drained so much that the road ahead looked bleak, and quitting seemed less heavy. "It is distressing when people ignore your calls. We were running out of money, and I felt helpless so much that I cried my heart out. I had made up my mind to disembark and call off the expedition. But things eventually have a way of working out if your faith is greater than your fear."
Perhaps it was in the mysticism of the Ganges that Thomas managed to gather himself or in the warmth of the locals who, with open arms, welcomed a stranger with the boat. Their slow-paced lifestyle took him through a composed sense of being. Local interactions helped him see a different side of the rural landscape replete with talent. Thomas spotted children who were ace swimmers and had the spark to become great athletes. Culminating the expedition on Ganga Sagar in West Bengal, Thomas, with the relentless support of his team of four, headed home with a heart full of hope.