Seshadri
 1s it possible for a visually
handicapped man to get many degrees? Seshadri has proved that it is not impossible. He was born in an orthodoux
Brahmin family in Sriperumpudur. His parents were Narasimha Ramanujachari and Vedavalli. He has one elder sister Amirthavalli, one elder brother Ramanujam and one younger sister Kanakavalli. Except the elder sister, all the other three, including Seshadri, were born
blind.
His father's earnings were very meagre and they found it difficult to have a full meal a day. He lost his father when he was eight years old. The only breadwinner was also gone and the mother suffered a lot having three blind children around her. As they belonged to an orthodox family, she could not work as a servant maid.
So, she prepared pickles, appalam, etc., at home and sold them to the local people. Though it did not fetch good money, they were able to have one meal a day. For the night, the
children made it a practice to go to the nearly temple where they used to offer some edibles like sundal, tamarind or curd rice to the visitors after the regular
pooja.
It was not enough for the children but they had no choice. Water was available in plenty in those days and they filled up their stomachs with
water when they did not get any food. The days were spent like that till they completed their
school education. Seshadri realised that beggars cannot choosers.
He still remembers how the people around them laughed heartlessly at the three
blind children when they went to school. They were very much hurt by them and started going one by one and not as a group to avoid teasing. Seshadri was fortunate enough to get admission in Vivekananda
College in Chennai.
He joined the B.A. English literature course. He had to start from Sriperumpudur at 5 a.m. as to reach the college at 9 a.m. There was nothing to eat in the early morning. So he forgot about his breakfast during his college days. In the lunch break he used to get some money by cleaning the vehicles of the teachers and students.
With that little money, Seshadri bought some lunch everyday. He found it difficult to meet his college fees, lunch, bus fare, purchase of books and Kanakamani's educational expenses. Though illiterate, his mother told them to learn
Tirukkural, Bhagavad Gita, Ramayana and the life history of Socrates, Napoleon, Vivekananda, Mahathma Gandhi and others.
As the children were blind, they needed a reader. They pleaded with some people to a read for them. Though they learnt Braille, books are not available for the blind people and they are very costly too. Seshadri and his brother worked for more than 12 hours a day in drilling and lathe machines to get some income to educate the blind younger sister.
They sold the products made by their mother in the local area and made some money. After successfully completing B.A. literature, Seshadri continued his postgraduation in the same subject in the same college. Getting a job was not easy even with a postgraduation.
So he joined M.A. in Tamil literature in
Pachaiyappa's college in Chennai. His love for Tamil literature was the main cause for it. He learnt a lot on the subject and went in for research too. He got his M.Phil in Tamil language. As he was interested in teaching, he joined the B.Ed. course and secured one more degree.
From childhood he showed a liking for
Carnatic music. He learnt it systematically and got a diploma. Violin was his favourite instrument. Though blind, he learnt the instrument and got a diploma too. He wrote poems, essays and stories in Tamil. He devoloped a taste for music, literature, and debating.
He has participated in debates, pattimanrams, competitions, folk music and drama, and kaviarangams. After obtaining many educational qualifications, Seshadri chose to do some social service by joining as a teacher in the Mahatma Gandhi High School for the depressed class children at Uthukottai, near Vellavedu.
He worked there for 14 years without receiving any salary. He learnt to be very patient as it was very difficult to teach the downtrodden who had no foundation and background at all. When questioned what they did for their livelihood, Seshadri answered that they did plastic wiring for cots and chairs during holidays or evenings.
 In course of time Seshadri got into government service. He joined the Government Arts College at Tiruttani as a lecturer in Tamil and later got transferred to Nandanam Arts College in Chennai. He is a simple and capable teacher. He participates in debates and all literary activities.
In this process he came into contact with great Tamil scholars like Sethupathi, Sabesan, Avvai Natarajan, Dr Arivoli and others. He improved his
talent in the field with such associates. As a teacher and a literary person he has to read a lot. How could it be possible for a blind person? Seshadri mentions the names of Kannan and Syamala with gratitude.
S S Kannan (Sasi) runs a big library called Karl Marx Library at his house in CIT Nagar, at Nandanam in Chennai for the sake of the poor, and visually and physically handicapped students. Though the
library contains many books, Seshadri needed somebody to read for him.
He had developed the acquaintance of a sincere social worker by name Syamala when he was going to many places to participate in debates and other literary activities. She came forward to help him in reading books. For eight years, Syamala was his reader. He learnt about the great poets of the world and English literature from her.
He remembers her with all gratitude. He was diffident to go to university to receive his M.A. degree in English literature from the hands of the then Chancellor of the University, Dr Surjeeth Singh Barnala, as he was scared of walking on the dais without tripping as he was used to falling on the roads while walking with a stick and has been hurt several times.
But Syamala insisted he receive it in person and convinced him that it would give her immense happiness as she has helped him in his studies. So Seshadri agreed to oblige her. But due to anxiety and excitement, he tumbled down even though he started with great confidence.
He did not mind his fall, but could not bear the laughter of some of the audience when he fell down. How unkind people were! Will their outlook ever change? Is it the fault of Seshadri that he is blind? Why are not people caring and considerate? These are the questions Seshadri puts before everyone and wants people's attitude to change.
Syamala consoled him with kind and encouraging words. As Seshadri was blind, he did not know anything about her health. He only knows that she was a good social worker, his reader, helper, friend, philosopher and guide. She used to get chest pain and wanted to donate her eyes after her death.
But Seshadri never took it seriously as he thought that she had developed such feelings after her contact with blind people like Seshadri. As usual, one evening Syamala brought him tea and was teaching him something. But soon Seshadri realised that there was no response from her for quite some time and when he went near her, he realised that she was dead and gone in no time.
It was a crude and unbearable shock for him. He has great respect and affection for her. Her death has caused a vacuum in him but he cherishes her memory with all gratitude. He has composed more than 26 verses on her, expressing his affection and gratefulness. He feels that through her eyes he saw the world; through her reading got his degrees; and with her encouragement reached greater heights.
Though Syamala is no more, she lives in his heart as an angel who protected and helped him in his academic endeavours. A compilation of his compositions has been released under the title 'Shadow Play' (Nizhalattam). As Syamala encouraged him in his studies, he made his students write some poems and along with his writings he published the same as 'The Voice of Kalyanaraman From Hell'.
He was keen on improving the standard of the students. To help them in getting useful education he wrote a book titled 'Arattin Nayakan' in 125 pages in 2001. He often feels that he has lost his right hand in the death of Syamala because she had been the driving force in his life.
Another sad happening of his life was the bus accident he met with in 1991. When he was returning from the literary celebration called 'Kamban Kaviarangam' in Karaikudi by a bus, it collided with a lorry which resulted in the loss of his right hand. He was hospitalised and the doctors decided to amputate his hand. But later they decided to leave it as it is as he being a teacher with no vision if one hand was also operated upon, he would be even more handicapped. But he could not use the right hand for anything and it hangs lifeless from his shoulders. He beautifully narrates this incident in a Tamil verse.
I was born without vision in my eyes
I lost my right hand in the middle of my life
But still I have not lost hope in my life
 He spends his time in various activities such as teaching his students; giving religious discourses; participating in debates and discussions; giving vocal and instrumental music performances. As he could not use his right hand, he finds it difficult to play on the violin which is his favourite instrument. Earlier, whenever he had stress and strain, he resorted to playing the violin. Now it is an impossibility.
He has become the secretary of the All India Association of the Visually Handicapped Teachers and works for the welfare of blind teachers. He looks into the problem of employment opportunities, transfer, working conditions, etc., of the blind teachers at the national level.
He also functions as the member of the Executive Council of the Visually Handicapped in Chennai. He gets the necessary books, tapes, scribes and readers for the blind students and others. He feels that education should promote human values and if people do not lead a civilised life, education will lose its value.
The 48-year-old Seshadri has dedicated his life to teaching and singing. He never thinks about marriage. His sister Kanakavalli also remains unmarried.
Seshadri turns his attention to achieving something greater in life. He wants to get into the Guinness Book of World Records for giving discourses continuously for 600 hours and plans to spend the award money for the progress of the visually handicapped.
Seshadri does not mind his age and disability. Though he was born blind, he visualises the need for development in the life of his community, the blind. His dream should be realised.
Shanmugam can be contacted
@:
No: 54 Kamaraj Road,
Ramakrishna Nagar,
Alwar Thirunagar,
Chennai- 600 087.
Phone: 248 60 221
E-mail: shanmugam@azagi.com
(Extracted
from the book 'Hope is Life')
|
He sets his sights high
