NUAPADA: For many, blindness could be an inevitable road to failure in life. Not for Shantilal Sabar, though. His nomination to enter the panchayati raj system and bring about a change in the lives of people at the grassroots, particularly the differently-abled, might have been rejected by the government on the plea of his blindness but this has not deterred his zeal to continue working for the less fortunate.
Born blind, 40-year-old Shantilal is not just self-reliant but also helps many others like him lead a dignified life through his organisation 'Samartha'. In the last 10 years, he has been able to transform the lives of hundreds of blind youths of Komna and Nuapada by educating and skilling them with the help of government organisations.
A native of Dabripada under Komna block of Nuapada district, Shantilal pursued his schooling from Kalahandi and Cuttack districts. Although he completed his matriculation, he could not pursue higher education due to personal problems.
However, Shantilal wanted to work for others like him and began approaching government officials and political leaders to start an organisation.
He opened Samarth in 2012 at Ghotia, a few km away from his village, and formed a group of blind students of his village and nearby areas who were out of school. Shantilal approached the School and Mass Education and SSEPD departments to facilitate disability scholarships and assistance for the students.
When the word spread, more students of schools and colleges approached him for help. So far, he has helped 150 students finish their matriculation and college degrees and facilitated skill training of 200 youths. He has also formed a troupe of blind bhajan singers and helps them get platforms to sing and eke out living.
Even during the pandemic last year, Shantilal organised a training programme in phenyl, incense stick and detergent making with the help of the rural self-employment training institute in Kalahandi. Today, the group which had attended the programme has been supplying their products to the government offices in Nuapada.
He is now busy in construction of another Samarth building in Nuapada which can accommodate at least 50 blind persons. He is also planning to take the legal course for inclusion of visually-challenged in the eligibility criteria for contesting elections. Prior to submitting his nomination this year, Shantilal had unsuccessfully contested the panchayat election in 2007.
His nomination this year was rejected as it was filed in braille script. "I am not sad over my rejection. But what pained me was the fact that despite so many efforts of the State government to bring the PwDs to the mainstream, there is still no provision for people like us to contest elections. I don't know if I will be able to contest next time. But I will take necessary steps to appraise the government and possibly bring about a change," he said.