Lavanya
 Elizabeth
Lavanya Poppy was born blind in a poor family at Coimbatore. Her father's
earnings were not sufficient for the whole family which consisted of the
parents, an elder brother, Lavanya and her elder sister Rosaline. Physically
handicapped children get admission in regular schools but blind ones are not
admitted there as the teachers are not trained to teach the blind. Lavanya was
keen on studies and decided to leave her loving family for Chennai were there is
a special school for the blind. So, at a tender age she left Coimbatore and
joined the Little Flower School for the Blind in Chennai. This resulted in her
parting with her family.
She missed the loving touch of
her beloved mother who had been her constant companion all these years. Her
sister, brother and father also felt miserable without the young girl. But
Lavanya’s interest in studies made them bear the separation.
She started her elementary
education in the famous Little Flower School and continued there till she
completed her seventh standard. She was happy to join her family as there was a
school for the blind in Coimbatore and she continued her higher classes living
with her kith and kin. As she secured good marks in her public exam with no
difficulty, she joined the Government Arts College and completed her graduation
and continued her post graduation also in the same college. She had to study
with normal children. Though she has learnt the Braille method, available for
the blind, she needed the help of a person to read what was written on the black
board and all the subjects for her and a scribe to write her examination and
assignments. It was difficult to get understanding and patient persons to cope
up with Lavanya’s speed and assimilation. She taped the lectures and used them
for her study. The blind definitely need someone’s help, especially for their
studies.
 In
the meantime, her sister Rosaline got married in spite of great financial
difficulty. Her father had retired and the mother had to take up all
responsibility. Her brother was the only earning member of the family. He worked
in an electrical shop and gave his earnings to his mother to run the family.
Rosaline also helped occasionally.
Though the family finds it
difficult to make both ends meet, they are proud of the educational achievements
of Lavanya. After getting a postgraduate degree, she pursued research by joining
an M.Phil. course in Bharathiyar University in Coimbatore. She made a study of
the condition of the blind.
She is the first blind
student to make a study of the blind. It is necessary to pass the SLET
examination if one wanted to become a lecturer. Lavanya proudly and happily says
that she has passed that exam also in the first attempt itself.
As her interest in research
continues, she has chosen to do her research for the doctoral degree. So, she
has joined the course in Vasavi College at Erode and is pursuing her research.
Her research is on technical education for the blind
und their socio-economic condition. Her experience as a blind
is of great help to her in doing the study.
Her close friend Damayanthi is
her best reader. She helps Lavanya in all possible ways. She comes to her house
every evening and reads for her. Doing research needs not only reading but field
visits too. To collect the research material for her Ph.D. course, Lavanya has
gone to Madurai, Trichy, Thanjavur, Ramanathapuram, Dharmapuri, Chennai and
other places. In these trips, she was happy to have the company of Damayanthi.
She discusses the points with her and comes to some conclusions too. Her
research has revealed some crude facts to her. She analyses them in an
interesting but pathetic manner. She wants everyone to know the realities.
In some families there are
three or four blind
people and their lives are certainly miserable. They struggle for survival
if their financial condition is very poor. The views of some blind girls on
marriage shows their plight. Some blind girls get married with hopes and
promises given by their better-halves but very soon the husband turn to be
'bitter-halves'. They treat the girls very badly and what is more hurting, call
them 'blind' all the time.
The blind girls would rather
remain unmarried than live such an incompatible life with selfish and
un-understanding husbands. They have undergone innumerable sufferings all these
years and why should they invite more troubles by marrying someone? Lavanya
feels that the blind should have good education and employment and command some
respect in society, instead of brooding over their blindness and indulging in
self-pity all the time which would definitely block their progress.
Lavanya has interviewed more
than 500 blind girls. She has got information about their daily routine, how
they lost their eyesight, what treatment
they are undergoing, their education, employment, financial condition, social
status, treatment faced in the family and outside, their ambitions and desires,
lifestyle, attitude towards marriage, social contacts, interests, etc.
Her questionnaire helps her to
formulate many hypotheses and she gets a clear picture of her study. It has
infused in her a new spirit of inquiry and she has decided to start an
organisation for the empowerment of blind women so that they could have social
awareness and awakening, economic independence and self-sufficiency, good
lifestyle, etc.
She has realised the pathetic
condition of girls in villages where they are not even sent to schools. The
plight of the blind girls is more pathetic. They are confined to their house and
there is no security for them. They lead a miserable life. Lavanya wants to put
an end to this state of affairs. The blind girls should come out of their
shells, get formal education and employment to meet their needs, and establish
their identity and individuality.
She makes a clarion call to all
blind women
to join her in serving the disabled and the needy people.
It is nice to see a
strong-willed educated girl who wants to come to the forefront without minding
her visual disability to serve her community of blind people as it is her life’s
ambition. Her aim should and would be fulfilled as her thoughts, efforts and
deeds are good.
Shanmugam can be contacted
@:
No: 54 Kamaraj Road,
Ramakrishna Nagar,
Alwar Thirunagar,
Chennai- 600 087.
Phone: 248 60 221
E-mail: shanmugam@azagi.com
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Her life ambition
