Journalism of Courage
On the occasion of World Left Handers Day,left handers across the globe are trying hard to erase the misconceptions that people have about them
For the 90 per cent of people around who do things the right way,these people represent the rebel lot. Colloquially,called the southpaws and the commies,left handers are perhaps as intriguing as the tales that have been spinning around them. Be it the tales from the Middle ages where the lefties were considered to be possessed by the devil to the etymological derivation of words in the English language,there is a lot about this minority than what meets the eye. So every year since the last 34 years,August 13 has been designated as the International Left Handers Day.
Sharing his experience Suresh Laxman Jadhav,a marketing professional says, As a child my father would tie my left hand to the cot if I was caught using it for writing or working. I felt that it affected my personality in adverse ways. And so since the last five years I am working towards this cause. In fact it is a problem that is hardly talked about. Interestingly,there are areas in which the lefties are considered to have distinct advantage over their counterparts. So be it sports,music or philosophy,some of the best minds have been the left handed people. Infact,Rafael Nadal,a natural right-hander,was taught to play left-handed,Michelangelo was a celebrated left-hander and the icon of peace,Mahatma Gandhi was also a part of the group.
But even after that a lot of families and cultures across the globe have had taken time to accept this uniqueness. In Indian culture specifically,the left-hand is considered to be inauspicious,which is reflected in the abstinence of its use in taking prasads or starting a new work. Quite naturally then a left handed child is not encouraged. Shares Dr Hemant Sant,a neurologist, If a child is forced to make a shift,it has profound implications on the psyche of the person.
