Imphal, July 10: The state government has been neglecting the interests and concerns of disabled persons and is keeping them separated from society; according to Khoirakpam Bhudhinanda, a75% blind person who have brought many medals and participated in national and international athletic meets.
The 25 year old athlete with disability from Thanga Ething Mamang Leikai , son of Kh. Chinglensana is now presently staying at takyel along with his elder brother. Among the 5 members of the family, his mother and younger brother are also blind leaving the responsibility of the family on his father who work as fisherman and elder brother who is a home tutor at Takyel area.
the blind athlete bagged silver medal in two events at the 17th National Sport Meet for Blind 2010, while during the 18th, 19th National sport meet for blind in 2012 and 2014, he got gold medals in three event- shot-put, long jump and javelin throw. In 2013 he got gold medal in 4BSA national power lifting championship was conferred the title of “Strongman”. For state level competitions he got uncountable no. of medals and achievements. He also missed the Glasgow 2014 Common wealth Games due to delay in passport arrangement.
During an interaction with our reporter he dejectedly narrated that the state government never recognise the achievements of disabled sport persons as normal athletes do from the government’s side. The government should know and give the respect as the work of the disable athletes who brought medal and name are also for the state, he added. Reacting to the ignorance of state government he said that he never get any government support.
He further said that persons with disabilities cannot be eradicated as they are also humans and belong with human civilisation and we should accept the truth. Without development of People with Disability(PWD), society cannot be called as developed by developing only normal people. So we need co-operation and support to each other so that we can share a common life and goal among the society.
He further appeals to everybody to refrain from showing pity at the sight of a disabled person as such misplaced expression of sympathy hurts a lot to the disable person when they hear such words. “Yes PWD needs people’s sympathy, support and encouragement but such word must be kept inside our heart and instead show it in the form of action for the support of the PWD” he added.
Despite the enviable list of achievements in sports given his drawbacks and disabilities, Budhinanda is really good in the field of education, he is the highest mark achiever in the history of Manipur in class 10 exam conducted by board of secondary education Manipur by a disable person. He secured 75% in the 2014 BOARD exam and received the Nirmal Kumar memorial award 2014.
He disclosed that he even stopped attending classes during his schooling days due to harassment and ignorance by the teacher and student even when he was the top in the class. He always requested the teacher to read the question aloud during the exam and to repeat what written on the black board. Sometimes even the teachers made snide remarks. “Such harassments became a normal thing to us living with disabilities but i never give-up” he added.
This year he cleared the class 12 examination from Model Higher Secondary School of Takyel and he is the only student from amongst the boys who got first division from the school. He used to read through copying by Braille method what the teacher taught during the class and types that into laptop using Job Access With Speech (JAWS) System which reads out the typed keys, and for Manipuri subject someone used to read the books which he recorded in his laptop playing it repeatedly.
His dreams lay shattered today as he is forced to withdraw admission from DU due to the financial constraints commented Budhinanda who always dreamt of becoming an IAS by appearing the UPSC exam and he always consider New Delhi the right place for the blind person as there is lot of respect in the white stick used by blind person.
“Now I don’t have any dream or aim and don’t know what to do for the future. “Let my destiny decide for me” he concluded, a single drop of tear streaming down the side of his face.
