Vision Without Sight: The Other Side

BY DR RAJAT CHABBA

Dr Rajat Chabba has been writing for us since about one year now. He is not only sincere in writing providing us the visual support as well, but makes it sure to make his column interesting.

We hope with the new layout, Dr Chabba will make an impact with our new readers as well. He has been a popular writer and in December got married, but despite his hectic routine he continues to be associated with us and we hope to have him for all times to come.

Murugandi is 49 years old. Every day he effortlessly climbs 80 foot high palm trees, chopping off dry leaves and selling it to small cottage industries. He is only different from his brethren in one way. Murugandi was born blind. Facing poverty, he learned tree climbing to support his family. After several futile attempts and falls, he learnt the technique and was soon able to guess the height of the trees by just touching the trunk and feeling the circumference.

Ketan Kothari is a golf medalist from Mumbai University. He has done his MBA from NMIMS, Mumbai.  He has worked with National Association for the Blind for over 15 years and is currently working with Sightsavers International India and handles various projects related to advocacy, education and assistive technology.

Like them, there are many others who are part of an elite group which refuses to give up. From playing musical instruments, performing stage shows to working with multinationals like Yahoo, JP Morgan, Infosys to representing our country in cricket; the so called blind have achieved it all.

But, it was never easy. Behind these achievements, lie years of struggle, dejection, determination and will power.

To add to this, how many of us know that our country reserves 1% of the jobs in various sectors for visually impaired and blind. Those who acknowledge this, are inclined towards offering petty jobs like receptionist, telephone operators which at  times underestimate the potential these people possess.

I, myself was unaware of these achievers. However, this January, inspired by the “Impossible is nothing” campaign, I embarked on a journey to bring forth few role models for people with visual disability. I was looking for few answers:

What makes people overcome their disability and achieve their dreams?

Do such people simply surprise themselves by their achievements or are there reasons much beyond which help them focus?

During this journey, I came across numerous visual impaired people in a manner that I surprised myself. The result was a humble advocacy campaign in form of a calendar featuring 12 such achievers who dared to say “I CAN”.  During the course, I got few answers too. All the achievers emphasized that they are no different from us and insist on normal interaction and no excessive sympathy. Their families treat them as equals and support them in their endeavors.  And above all, they had the persistence to fight it out against the biased rules and find their way out.

But all of them felt that there is a long way to go. The blind don’t have access to some of the basic services in today’s world. An access to efficiently operate an ATM machine, provision for inclusive education is few examples which highlight the lacunae that exist.

This journey to the other side enlightened me with a humble learning:

“What is worst than having no eyes? The ability to see but without any vision”

Dr. Rajat Chabba is a Senior Manager – Strategic Initiatives with a Tamil Nadu based NGO and writes on rural India in this monthly column ‘The Other Side’ for The Sip of Life. Rajat can be contacted at rajat@thesipoflife.com