Chitrasen Sahu

Chitrasen Sahu

Personal information
Born	(1992-10-12) 12 October 1992 (age 32) Balod, Chhattisgarh, India
Occupation(s)	Indian mountaineer Motivational speaker Wheelchair basketball player Inclusion and disability rights activist Civil engineer
Website	www.halfhumanrobo.com

Chitrasen Sahu (born 12 October 1992), also known as "Half Human Robo," ^[1] is an Indian mountaineer ^[2] and inclusion and disability rights activist. ^[3] He is the first double amputee from India ^[4] to scale Mount Elbrus, Mount Kilimanjaro (Tanzania) and Mount Kosciuszko (Australia). ^{[5] [6]} He is also a national wheelchair basketball player. ^{[7] [8] [9] [10]}

On 4 June 2014, while attempting to board a train, his hands slipped, he fell between the train and the platform and both of his legs were badly damaged. With help from RPF personnel he was admitted to a hospital in Raipur and in the space of 24 days both his legs were amputated. ^[11]

Early life and career

Sahu was born and brought up in Beloudi, Balod District, Chhattisgarh. ^[12] He studied in a government school in his village and earned a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from Government Engineering College, Bilaspur. He was accepted into the Air Force and had begun preparing for competitive exams when the accident happened in which he lost both his legs. ^{[13] [14] [15]}

Train accident

Sahu boarded the Amarkantak Express, which runs from Raipur to Bilaspur, on 4 June 2014. At Bhatapatra station he left the train to buy some water. By the time he returned, the train had slowly started moving. He ran for a short distance and tried to board the moving train, but the door handle was greasy and he slipped, lost his balance and fell. ^[16]

Initially, police suspected that he was either attempting suicide or had met with an accident while crossing the railway tracks, but the flagman of the train came forward and was able to explain the incident in detail. Sahu was taken to a hospital where one leg was amputated immediately; twenty-four days later, his second leg was also amputated due to medical negligence. ^[17]

Mountaineering

After his accident, Sahu decided to attempt the Seven Summits, aided by experienced mountaineer Rahul Gupta from Chhattisgarh. ^{[18] [19]} He started with Mount Kilimanjaro, reaching the summit on 23 September 2019 after six days in temperatures of -10 to -15 degrees C. ^{[20] [21] [22]} He went on to scale Mount Kosciuszko, the highest peak in Australia, on 2 March 2020. ^{[23] [24]}

Activism

With both legs amputated, Sahu found it difficult to get a motor vehicle licence, despite having purchased and specially modified a car for his needs. He was eventually awarded a judgement in his favour by the high court of Bilaspur, which opened the door for many other people with disabilities to obtain a license. ^[25]

He established "Mission Inclusion," which provides assistance to people with disabilities through counseling and the donation of artificial limbs. He said in one interview, "All our focus is on making everyone understand that it is not sympathy which is needed, but rather heartfelt empathy to understand and create an accessible and inclusive environment." ^{[26] [27]}

References

1. "ट्रेन हादसे में खोए दोनों पैर, आज हाफ ह्यूमन रोबो के नाम से प्रसिद्ध है यह जाबांज". The Better India.
2. "PROUD: 'हाफ ह्यूमन रोबो' चित्रसेन ने फतह किया किलिमंजारो". ETV Bharat.
3. "पर्वतारोही होने के साथ-साथ राष्ट्रीय ह्वीलचेयर बास्केटबॉल खिलाड़ी, ब्लेड रनर हैं। उन्होंने विकलांगों के ड्राइविंग लाइसेंस के लिए भी बहुत लंबी लड़ाई लड़ी है और शासन की अन्य नीतियों को अनुकूल बनाने के लिए काम कर रहे हैं।". Nai Dunia.
4. "Scaling heights with high spirits: Meet India's first double leg amputee mountaineer". The Times of India. 28 September 2019. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
5. "Chhattisgarh's double leg amputee mountaineer creates history as he climbs Mount Elbrus". ANI News.
6. "उमेश पटेल ने चित्रसेन साहू को आस्ट्रेलिया की सबसे ऊँची चोटी पर जाने पर दी बधाई". Glibs.
7. "CG's Chitrasen Sahu scales Africa's highest peak Mount Kilimanjaro". The Hitavada.
8. "अफ्रीका की सबसे ऊंची चोटी किलिमंजारों पर छत्तीसगढ़ के दिव्यांग चित्रसेन ने फहराया तिरंगा". Patrika.
9. "Sahu is a premiere force behind the wheelchair basketball team of India". The Optimist.
10. "चित्रसेन डबल लेग एंप्युटी यानी दोनों पैर के बिना किलिमंजारो और कोजिअस्को पर तिरंगा लहराने वाले देश के पहले माउंटेनियर बन गए हैं।". CG Metro.
11. "Double amputee who scaled Kilimanjaro raises the bar, eyes Mount Everest next". Indian Express.
12. "First double leg amputee Chitrasen from Balod to climb Mount Kilimanjaro".
13. "21-year-old civil engineer, on his way back home to Balod from Bilaspur on a train. As the train set off, he slipped and fell…". Indian Express.
14. "Chitrasen Sahu : रेल दुर्घटना में दोनों पैर खोये लेकिन आज हैं बास्केटबॉल प्लेयर, पर्वतारोही और मोटिवेशनल स्पीकर". Be Positive India.
15. "चित्रसेन साहू : पैर नहीं पर कर ली 5685 मीटर ऊंची चोटी फतह". Jansatta.
16. "Double amputee who scaled Kilimanjaro raises the bar, eyes Mount Everest next". Indian Express.
17. "4 जून को मैं वापस बिलासपुर जा रहा था अमरकंटक एक्सप्रेस ट्रेन रायपुर से जा रहा था और भाटापारा स्टेशन में पानी पीने के लिए नीचे उतरा। गर्मी बहुत थी, ट्रेन में पानी था नहीं और जैसे ही ट्रेन का हॉर्न बजा ट्रेन की ओर चल पड़ा लेकिन चड़ते समय हाथ फिसल गया". Chhattisgarh Diary.
18. "Accompanying Chitrasen on the trek is Rahul Gupta, an experienced mountaineer. Rahul, who has scaled Mount Everest , met Chitrasen at a press conference in 2015 ..." Newz Hook.
19. "Double leg amputee aims to be India's first to scale Mt Kilimanjaro". The Bridge.
20. "अब चित्रसेन पूरे देश और राज्य के एकमात्र ऐसे युवा हैं जो डबल एंप्युटी हैं, और माउंट किलिमंजारो की कठिन चढ़ाई पूरी की है। आखिरी दिन चित्रसेन ने 12 घंटे की चढ़ाई -5 से -10 डिग्री तापमान में धूल वाले ठंडे तूफान के बीच लगातार मुश्किलों से जूझते हुए पूरी की।". Jagran.
21. "रायपुर के चित्रसेन साहू ने अफ्रीका की 5685 मीटर ऊंची चोटी किलिमंजारो पर लहराया तिरंगा". Dainik Bhaskar.
22. "युवा पर्वतारोही श्री चित्रसेन साहू को आस्ट्रेलिया की सबसे ऊँची चोटी माउण्ट कोजिअस्को की चढ़ाई के लिए बधाई और शुभकामनाएँ दी है". Etoi News.
23. "युवा पर्वतारोही चित्रसेन साहू को आस्ट्रेलिया की सबसे ऊँची चोटी माउण्ट कोजिअस्को की चढ़ाई के लिए बधाई और शुभकामनाएँ दी है।". Glibs.
24. "चित्रसेन साहू ने ऑस्ट्रेलिया के सबसे ऊंचे पर्वत कोजिअस्को पर की चढ़ाई". Bhaskar.
25. "when he had to fight in court for his right to drive. "In November 2017, I purchased a car…". Indian Express.
26. "अफ्रीका की सबसे ऊंची चोटी माउंट किलीमंजारो फतहकर 'हाफ ह्यूमन रोबो' चित्रसेन ने दिया प्लास्टिक फ्री छत्तीसगढ़ का मैसेज". IBC 24.
27. "No Mountain Too High when it comes to Mission Inclusion". stories.possiabilities.com.

External links

• Official website
• TEDx Talk by Chitrasen Sahu
• Chitrasen Sahu of Raipur
• Website of Community Platform by Alphapreneur
• Passion Talks by Romil barthwal
• र्चित्रसेन साहू ने सोमवार को प्रोस्थेटिक लेग और बुलंद हौसलों के साथ माउण्ट कोजिअस्को की चढ़ाई की है
• कोजीअस्को पर तिरंगा फहराने वाले चित्रसेन साहू को अमित जोगी ने दी बधाई
• खेल मंत्री पटेल ने पर्वतारोही चित्रसेन साहू को दी बधाई