KOCHI: Inspiring indeed! The biography ‘A Different Spirit’ by Anantha Krishnan M reads more like an autobiography as it’s a first person account of Paralympic champion Malathi K Holla, a recipient of Padma Shree and Arjuna Award.
Leaf through the pages and see the different chapters of her life - how she overcomes her handicaps to win laurels. Her failures and victories, friends and family, men in her life, spinsterhood, banking, sports and much more come alive in the pages.
The narrative shuttles between the past and the present unfolding bitter sweet memories.
As a child “I wanted to chase all the chicks along with their angry mother into their little make-shift home whenever I spotted them.....
But as I grew up, I realised you need legs to run.” A severe fever paralysed Malathi when she was a year old. All kinds of treatment, including shock, restored her upper half but left her weak waist down. She was advised to go to Chennai where she spent her formative years. Her mother and sister’s disdain towards her disability left her in despair. However, the selfless love of her two brothers and father filled her with hope. “My father was my friend, philosopher, guide, mentor and adviser.” She recalls her Chennai days at the rehabilitation centre for poliorelated illnesses which also served as residential school where she shone in many activities from Std I to Std X, how her teacher Kaveriammal tapped her potential and taught her kindness and compassion. Sandwiched in between were her gala holidays at home in Bangalore. She found solace in sports and began to participate in many events and won many accolades. Soon she saw herself participating in national and international events which landed her a bank job.
Malathi looked at the sunny side of life and life smiled back at her.
Her wins won her renowned friends in sports, music, films, political and other fields who were full of support and encouragement like her colleagues at the Syndicate Bank. She even got a chance to act with Rajkumar, her idol, in ‘Kamanabillu’.
These were more than what she dreamt of. She fought for her rights and each success boosted her confidence which helped her achieve more.
She did India proud in the Paralympics at South Korea, Barcelona, Athens, and Beijing, the Asian Games at Beijing, Bangkok, South Korea and Kuala Lumpur, World Masters in Denmark and Australia and Commonwealth Games in Australia and Open Championships in Belgium, Kuala Lumpur and England in track events and throws.
Other countries had far better infrastructure for the differently abled and they had coaches to guide them. These rich experiences widened her vision.
Touching indeed are the words on the men in her life, some wanted to marry her while some did not. She did give her heart to one who broke it and with it her dreams of a married life in spite of many proposals coming her way.
Malathi now gives back to society through her Mathru Foundation, a residential home for educating physically challenged boys in rural pockets. Many of her trusted friends, including sports stars Venkatesh Prasad and Ashwini Nachappa, are in it.
But for the monotonic lines of gratitude expressed in all its sincerity, the lucid style, brevity and simple diction punctuated by comprehensive visuals make, the book easy reading just as Anantha puts it in his forward, “Malathi’s story had to be told as it is: simple, and straight as an arrow.” Malathi’s never-say-die attitude, confidence, positive outlook and outgoing spirit link the pages which end with the “hope that one day I will run, maybe with a little help from you.” Anantha’s first book ‘A Different Spirit’ is available at www.adifferentspirit.
com. Part of the proceeds of the sale of the book will go to Mathru Foundation.
(Published by Inspired Indian Price Rs 200)
surekha@epmltd.com