Bhubaneswar-based Shruti Mohapatra is a tireless crusader for the disabled, always at the forefront to secure a rightful place for the physically challenged in society. All this and more, from a wheelchair. Advocacy, networking, inclusive education and information dissemination are her tools.
She is today the chief executive officer of Swabhimaan, a state disability information and resources centre, that she had set up in 2001.
Her experience in disability sector for over 20 years, first as a volunteer and then as a full time activist and her relentless efforts in the area of advocacy had resulted in the appointment of a disability commissioner in Odisha, three per cent reservation for differently-abled persons in all departments of the state government.
Mohapatra was always sure of her calling in life: “To bring about a change in the lives of the less fortunate.”
A topper since her college days, Mohapatra was also active in sports and debate circles. A student of BJB College here, she graduated in zoology. “I liked all my subjects but maths in graduation. I loved the zoology portion of biology. Ecology fascinates me. Understanding the environment, the ecosystem and learning about it was thoroughly enjoyable,” she said.
On her gang of friends, she says, “During my college days, my classmates Bhaswati Sengupta, Basanti Dalei, Jackie, Dipica Bose and Kishwar Jahan Begum were the closest to me. In all the four years, the Chaat Wala outside our college was our favourite place. The other was the botany department’s garden.”
She reveals that she never has any good memory of her college as far as classes were concerned. Mohapatra says although she was very excited to go to college, ‘the first day was a huge disappointment’.
“Classrooms had lots of table and benches, with all sorts of graffiti on them and fans were of every shape. Wall corners had generous spitting marks and blackboards were worn out with years of writing and topping. Lewd remarks, writings on the wall — college was bad! And this was considered the best college of Odisha,” she recalls.
She further says that college classes turned lifeless as faculty were not always on time. “Some preached, some sermonised, some dictated notes, some just read from books, some kept writing on the blackboard, while others displayed arrogance and only few taught,” she says, adding that students too attended classes as per their whims!
“I even remember lab assistants made good money in giving required attendance for sitting for the examination and disclosing the name of salt given for identification.” Mohapatra and her gang of gals, however, never missed a class. And it was because of her dedication that she was liked by all professors.
“The best learning from college was to grow from reading a prescribed textbook to referring various authors on a particular topic. This helped me understand the topic well and slowly discover authors who explained in simple language. College also helped me outgrow the habit of being dependent on teachers to accepting them as guides who could tell you the best path to tread, on the basis of your ability and walk independently. Thus, I chose my own books, authors, methods of presenting an answer, etc,” she says.
Though she was never ragged, she recalls one incident which she would never forget. “Within the first few months of my joining college, we requested the authorities to start a women’s basketball team and it was sanctioned. We were asked to reach there on a certain day and time. I reached. I was very happy. When we started our practice as usual I slipped off my skirt and played with my shorts on as did my schoolmate Basanti. We did not know that it would cause so much of mental agony! Involved in the game, I did not realise that I was being stared at. I slowly became aware that something was wrong. My teammates (my seniors) were smiling. So was the boys team. Next day when I reached college I was stunned. On the black board were cartoons of me during the game,” narrates Mohapatra, who is now 90 per cent paralysed following a car accident in her mid-twenties.
There were ‘beautiful’ memories too. “We started a debating society in college. It was the first time and few faculty members also joined us. We chose a topic, discussed, debated and were given tips and advised at the end of it. Then we introduced a membership fee also which went towards small mementoes for the monthly winner,” says Mohapatra.
The excellent career that she had, Mohapatra was the recipient of the Best Student Award of Utkal University and was the National Debating Champion in 1980, 1981 and 1982. She was the Literary Champion in Utkal University in 1984.
— diana@newindianexpress.com
