CHENNAI: There is nothing more beautiful than watching the triumph of human spirit and that was on display on Thursday at the first National Summit of Parents and Persons with Multiple Disabilities and the National Youth Festival being organised by the National Institute for the Empowerment of Persons with Multiple Disabilities (NIEPMD).
The event saw participation from all over the country. Parents and siblings accompanied their ‘special’ family members, cheering for them and bonding over games, music and dance. The Chief Guest for the event was MP Nirmala, Chairperson and Commissioner of the Department of Protection of Child Rights.
Among all those at the event, 17-year-old Ashnoor Deep Singh was particularly endearing with his spot-on imitation of dance moves of everyone from Ranveer Singh or Salman Khan.
“He is a very outgoing boy,” his sister Dr Bhavleen Kaur said. “He loves meeting people and is the life of any party. Since he enjoys dancing, we got him to do Bhangra classes and he has become very good. Now, he is learning to play the harmonium.”
Singh belongs to a family of doctors and engineers but is inclined towards the performing arts and loves whipping up a hearty meal. He is also being trained to use computers.
“I love eating pizzas,” Singh said. “Paneer pizza is my favourite! It always lifts my mood. Apart from food, I love watching films. Shah Rukh Khan is the best and I can’t wait to watch his latest movie.”
For this brother and sister who came from Chandigarh for the event, it was a chance to realise the opportunities in the south for children like Singh who have Down syndrome.
With Raksha Bandhan approaching, Singh knows what he will give his sister — money. He also knows what his sisters will give him in return — pizza. That’s definitely something to look forward to!
For Pinkla Sharma, who comes from Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh, this was a chance for her daughter Ankita to explore a new place and interact with people.
Ankita is 21-years-old and has cerebral palsy. Like Singh, she too enjoys nothing more than watching a dubbed South Indian film or catching up on all the shows that air on Star Plus. Having said that, she makes sure to pitch in and do her bit at home.
Ankita completed her Class X exams but could not study further as she has trouble writing. And that is something Pinkla feels bad about. But talent doesn’t demand a formal education.
“My son who is ‘normal’ has won only one prize in his life but Ankita has won close to 50 prizes and medals,” Pinkla said fondly. “She is a gift and, now, all I hope for her is that she continues to be the independent and strong girl that she is.”
Even at the event, Ankita had won the carrom competition with her partner Priyanka Bhosle from Maharashtra.
However, it wasn’t just teens and young adults at the event. There were others like 37-year-old motorbike enthusiast Lalithkumar Natarajan — a shining example of a person who beat the odds. He is the first Indian paraplegic to ride on the highest road in India.
“I just completed a road trip of close to 6,000 kilometres,” he said proudly. “It took me 15 days and it was an arduous journey but extremely rewarding.”
He started from Kanyakumari and went all the way to Khardung La. Natarajan hails from Tirupur and lost partial sensation and mobility beneath the waist due to transverse myelitis when he was 11.
Natarajan was never one to give up easily. It was this spirit that kept him going despite the fact that the journey was taxing and none among the 15 hotels he visited were accessible or disability-friendly.
He did the road trip to raise awareness about spinal cord injuries and also to prove to the world that when it comes to doing adventurous things, disability is not a barrier.
Natarajan’s vision is to open a countrywide chain of centres for disability education, employment, advocacy and rehabilitation (CDEEARR), under his NGO called Love and Acceptance that would help people with spinal cord injuries. He is currently looking out for help with funding for his project. Simultaneously, he is planning the next trip. This time, a tour through the north east.
“Riding makes me feel free spirited,” Natarajan said gleefully. “It is almost like meditation where you feel one with your surroundings. It is therapeutic. A while ago I would never have thought I would do this, but I am thankful that I could do it.”