Mahesh
 Mahesh, the administrative officer of the
Physically Handicapped Rehabitation Centre at
Bangalore, never dreamt that he would ever reach that position. He was a smart young boy with a lot of desires and ambitions in life. He was a motherless child and has no brothers and sisters. His father was everything to him.
He showed interest in studies as well as sports and games. After completing his
school education, he applied to many
colleges and got ready to pursue higher education. He had many dreams about his future. He was interested in nice dresses, and as he felt it a pride to go to college, he had requested his father to get him new clothes.
Like a small boy, he rehearsed his days in college by wearing new clothes and shoes at home itself. He was happy to see himself in the mirror in the new fittings. He never thought that such a day would never come in his life at all.
A few days before joining college, Mahesh had severe fever. His father took him to the doctor and gave him expensive treatment.
But the fever never subsided and within a few days Mahesh was seriously affected by paralytic stroke and he was bedridden. He could not move any part of his body. There ended the dream of the 19-year-old boy of going to college in a new dress and shoes.
He was lying like a motionless log on the first floor of his house, all the time brooding over his condition. He had no one except his father to look after him. The father was keen on curing him. So he brought specialists to treat his son. But there was no improvement at all.
Four years went like that and Mahesh lost all interest in life. He cursed himself for being a useless person. He feels that those four years he spent was the dark period of his life.
Then came a service-minded woman into his life with compassion and kindness. Her sister was also affected by paralysis and she only infused new life in him. When she came to know about Mahesh, she voluntarily came to his house and started her service. He never knew that he was going to marry the same woman after some years.
She told him not to be diffident about his condition and if he had a will he would definitely succeed. She told him to get out of his bed and start doing some useful work. Instead of lying on the bed, it would be good if he did some work for himself. A lot more could be done without using some parts of the body. Her encouraging words made him a new man.
With her help he got out of his bed and started doing some exercises moving his hands and legs. Every day he climbed up and down in the steps which proved to be very fruitful. He realised that he could not become the old Mahesh who could go round the whole of Bangalore in a few hours; but the present Mahesh could make himself at least mobile.
 Earlier, his father did the household work, and looked after him before going to his office.
Food, water and other things would be kept near his bedside and he did nothing useful. But the encouragement given by the woman did wonders for him. With the help of sticks he started going to the nearby computer centre and learnt as much as he could.
He spent his daytime at the centre and became an expert. He wanted to earn his livelihood as he became qualified. Mahesh no more wanted to be a burden on his father. When there was a vacancy in a village development organisation, Mahesh applied for it. As it was a remote village with fewer facilities.
No one except Mahesh applied for that job. Mahesh got selected but he was reluctant to leave. His father also felt sorry for the separation and suffering of Mahesh but his friend encouraged him to take up the job on an experimental basis. Perhaps that would reveal his real standard as a handicapped.
So he decided to face the new challenge of his life. When he joined the new job, he found that the people around him had no knowledge of computer or
English. He had to teach both computer and English to them. He served the organisation for nearly nine years. He was able to know the practical problems of the villagers.
He came across many handicapped also in his life. He tried to solve their problems in his own way. He became part and parcel of that village and served the public in all possible ways for nine long years. It is interesting to note that he married the woman who changed the course of his life and happily settled in life.
He returned to Bangalore and joined as a staff of an internationally famous organisation called Mobility India. It is a rehabilitation centre for the physically handicapped. As he has worked for nine years in the rural development centre, Mahesh finds it easy and interesting to work in Mobility India.
This organisation is keen on reforming the slum people who are backward. Mobility India has adopted 16 slums in Bangalore and does the best to improve the lifestyle of the slum people, especially children. It also shows interest in the education and health of the slum children.
Mobility India has found that there are more than 500 disabled persons in these slums without knowing what to do. They have no idea of their future which is very bleak. The organisation brought them and their parents to the centre and educated them about the disease, the remedy and above all the need for the patients to recoup themselves and try to stand on their own legs.
Instead of making them lie in one corner of the house, it is the duty of the parents to make them mobile and show interest in education and self-employment of their handicapped children. Mobility India voices its demands in the Karnataka Assembly and Parliament for the welfare of the handicapped who need educational, employment and transport facilities.
The government has its responsibility towards the weaker section of society. But till this day, the handicapped do not enjoy many facilities. In foreign countries there is a separate department to look into the needs of the disabled. But, in India, they are objects of mockery and distress. Most of them do not even see the light of day as they lie in one corner of the house.
Many do not even have wheelchair for their mobility. If so, where is the chance for them to get education and employment? Mahesh feels that this condition should change. He is keen on founding an organisation to fight for the rights and comforts of the disabled. Mahesh went on a tour in 2001 to more than 10 Asian and European countries to study the condition of the handicapped.
 He had a pleasant shock when he saw in Taiwan, a more backward country than India, the handicapped are given lot of concessions. In getting education, occupation, transport and accommodation, the Government of Taiwan gives lot of concessions and considerations to the disabled. If they ring up, the bus would go to their house to pick them up.
There are special drivers for the blind. Vehicles have been modified to suit the physical condition of the handicapped. Not only for them but to their children also many governments offer concessions in many spheres. But, in India, the handicapped cannot even get into the bus as it is not made for such people.
Getting a wheelchair in railway and bus stations is almost impossible. Though a few seats are allotted for the handicapped in our buses, people already seated there find it difficult to give to the disabled. They do not even get the treatment what a pet dog of a rich person gets in life. This
condition should change.
All handicapped should come out of their shells and face realities. The parents and society should contribute to the awakening and awareness of the disabled. If not to the extent of foreign countries, we can be happy if the handicapped are at least given some basic facilities so that they could come out of darkness and see the outer world.
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')
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Reaching out to others
