A world of the special people

It was the mid-nineties, in Sabarkantha.  I stopped by at Sahyog, the leprosy rehabilitation centre in Rajendranagar founded by Suresh Soni.  That evening, Soni told me about Amri, a fifteen-year-old mentally challenged rape victim.  She had come to the centre in the seventh month of her pregnancy.   Now, her baby was a few months old.  It was heart wrenching and I was moved to tears as I heard this terrible account.  On meeting Amri, I was warmed by her innocent, gummy smile and twinkling eyes.  Her cheerfulness wiped out the sadness and brought a smile to my face!   In spite of being wronged and victimized, the pleasant, guileless disposition of the young girl got me thinking.  I strongly felt that the perverted perpetrators of this crime, who masqueraded in society as ‘sane’ people, were the real ‘mentally retarded’ ones. 

Over the years, I have encountered the issue of intellectual disability off and on. I have also been meeting Amri, who is now in her thirties, with the same gummy smile!  Her son is now in class 12 at Sahyog. 

Society in general, including schools, teachers and citizens is often not concerned or caring about mental disability.  Its prevalence in India is pegged at 2.3%, which is 3.1% in the case of females and 1.5% for males.  In spite of various measures over the years, including a national policy and a hundred times increase in its manpower for addressing mental disability, much needs to be done. Lack of awareness, surveillance systems, social audits, poor management and treatment are some of the nagging issues.

The utter lack of sensitivity towards mentally challenged people in various spheres of life still persists.  In schools and classrooms too, mere policies do not help.  The minds and hearts of the implementers must truly feel that “Every Child Matters”. 

Going beyond mere sympathy, due attention in the form of time, energy, resources and patience would have to be spent on these children. This will instantly result in these kids blossoming into more capable, independent human beings, contributing significantly to the society. 

We have a shining example in Maya Devipoojak. This poor, slum-dwelling, intellectually disabled girl from Mehsana has won laurels for India. She is the child of an intellectually disabled father, and a mother who sells vegetables for a living.  Maya’s story is as heart warming as it is inspiring for each one of us.  She was spotted for her talent in sports at the vocational centre run by the Khodiyar Education Trust, where she was enrolled after dropping out from school. She then went on to play at the school, district, state, national and even international level. Maya, with her speed and focus on the puck, was in the Indian team that played Floor hockey in the World Winter Games (Special Olympics) in South Korea this year.  The crowning glory was that India won the gold!  I was greeted by a familiar gummy smile and twinkling eyes, when I met her recently.

Maya’s talent, hard work and the mentoring of her coaches have been the secret of her success. 

More than anyone else, I salute Maya’s mother – Kamu.  She has been a caregiver to two intellectually disabled people in her home — her husband and her daughter.  The trauma and pain of the caregiver is often much deeper than the pain of the disabled persons. 

The life stories of both Amri and Maya exist side-by-side.  A more sensitive society with caring citizens can enable the emergence of more Mayas.  Mayas, who actually conquer their disability, do better than the best and bring glory to their families, communities and country!

Jayanti S Ravi
The author is a Harvard educated civil servant and writer, now working in the education sector