Othello in Braille

A cheer rises from the centre of the paan-stained confines of this building. Four minds are deep in focus over a game of cricket.

A cheer rises from the centre of the paan-stained confines of this building. Four minds are deep in focus over a game of cricket. The ‘spat’ of the plastic bat and ball runs like a constant background score. Behind the closed doors are classes full of diligent quiet hands,typing and reading at the rows of computers in the room. Murmuring groups of book-wielders huddle outside the top floor library. The broad staircase up to the first floor takes one to the man who inspired all this. All the banners,posters,awards shelves and bulletin boards tell you that much has been written and recognised about him.

Rahul Deshmukh came to Pune two decades back with little more than academic ambitions. He met the unrelenting face of reality while languishing at the railway station for want of a place to stay. He realised early on that no matter where he would go,his visual impairment would label him as a liability. “Anything that I would say now will seem simplistic. The struggles I endured would sound like a smooth trajectory of incidents. But it was anything but that. I have survived,so I must have got something important right.” Today he has a BEd certificate in Marathi and History,double Masters in Sociology and Political Science,an MSW degree and is awaiting the results to his MPhil in Sociology. “I sought acceptance by proving my excellence in every field of study I took up. There had to be no room of doubt towards this physically challenged man running an NGO.”

Snehankit Association for Non-Seeing Friends and the National Association for the Welfare of Physically Challenged came out of his vision to provide computer learning possibilities to the differently-abled in the city. “Sixty registered students come to us regularly; it’s a total of 100 if you count the infrequent visitors. They learn from the basic to competitive exams levels syllabi. Employability and confidence building are our goals.” With the widely acclaimed JAWS software available,the virtual world is within easy grasp of the students. “Years ago,we shuffled up a single PC,loaded it with pirated software and started our ‘Center’. When some kind souls realised our seriousness,they let their generosity bless us. Sudha Murthy was one of them. She continues to give us a patient ear.”

Apart from computer literacy,recreation was made the focus. There are carom tables,cards,chess boards and a television in the small room where weary bodies can unwind without feeling left out. The computer projects launched by Snehankit were pioneering initiatives in Maharashtra. The digital library has vocalised and condensed over 300 books,some classics included. All the work has been sustained since 1999 with minimal resources,kind donations,volunteer staff and unbending determination. And the latest pre-occupation here is to build a hostel specifically for the physically challenged. “It’s been so long since I came here and faced my first hurdle. Numerous like me still have to fight it out every day.

It had seemed an impossible dream to give them a heads-up. But we all did it. The hostel will follow suit.”

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