They say what can not break me can only make me stronger.

Heard of it??
I am immensely blessed to present in front of you all steemians a story, of not only courage but failing bcoz of courage facing hardships and making his own weakness a weapon to live life.

Raja Mahendra Pratap a young enthusiastic accounting officer currently in his early 30's doing his daily chores. As I started talking to him about life it was early morning there he pointed at the clock and said let's talk while making towards work(as he didn't want to get late for his office). So he combed his hairs, tucked his shirt in and locked his home. So now we are making way towards his office, but wait, Did I tell you about Raja's speciality?

Look at that smile!!!
Instead of what happened with him at his early age he is a little different with us, however, he is capable doing whatever we can do with full of our efficiency. Raja beside doing his all regular chores, he can climb up stairs without getting fatigued or feel exhausted. Whenever he crosses the road, he gets amazed to see people's jaw dropping reaction towards him. Even when he is outdoors people peep at him. He is a little different from us, physically both his hands and legs were severed from his ankles and knees.

Raja is a young man, full of energy, works as a Finance and Accounts Officer at ONGC, Ahmedabad. He has studied Finance and MBA, and hey.. has a handsome package.

He hails from Hyderabad. When he was five years old his friend challenged him to hold an iron rod into an open electric wire. Within seconds electricity surged through his entire body. The accident resulted in the amputation of legs and hands. Since the till he aged 16 years old, Raja never moved out of his house, he would stay confined in the four walls of the room.

When asked more about his life he states:

"I would stay in my room. My father felt embarrassed to call me in front of guests. He considered me a >burden and good for nothing."

Life in those ten years

As he did not get out of his home for over a decade, he couldn't attend school. He was from a middle-class family and yet to stitch his clothes, a tailor would be called at home. Similarly, a doctor would come to his place and gave treatment whenever needed.
His three elder sisters stood by him and encouraged him a lot. He acquired knowledge by studying their books. As he couldn't walk, he would crawl on the floor which rubbed his skin off at the joints. Gradually he learnt to walk. Similarly, with the help of his mouth and ankle, he would try and lift things. Now, he can efficiently use the computer, write on a piece of paper with the help of his mouth and ankle. Also, it might interest you to know that he can walk with his knees.

Look at him working on his office desktop.

Life is not that easier, is it?

7 years ago Raja sat with a cobbler and made him design shoes as per his need. No cobbler was ready to make those until one agreed.

‘They are getting paid for making sandals yet are not ready to do so. I don’t experience any agony whenever I come across such situations,’ says Raja.

He cleared his twelfth grade without attending the school. The first time when he had the opportunity to step out of his home, his joy had no limits. Then, there was no looking back for him. He cleared his college in the stream of Commerce and then Masters in Finance from Osmania University.

He received the scholarship from Delhi-based ‘National Center for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People”. The scholarship amount of Rs.1000 ($18) for a year enabled him to complete his course in Finance. Today he gives the scholarship to disabled students.

He can walk and travel through any public or private transport without any assistance.

Living with the stereotype Society

Life is not easy, and Raja understood it very early. While his days of hunting for the job he received a lot of interview calls, but once the one on one interview happened it would change the employer's attitude towards him. Nobody was willing to give him the opportunity anticipating that he might not be able to accomplish the work assigned to him. The attitude of society towards his ability disturbed him but he continued his search for the job. Finally, he landed a job as the Assistant Manager in National Housing Bank, Delhi.
Raja's job changed the attitude of his father towards him. Currently, he is working as Finance and Accounts Officer in ONGC, Ahmedabad. He has the full support of his colleagues and superiors, also he has earned respect and love in his current and previous organisations.

His immediate supervisor and also the manager of ONGC added,

“He never feels awkward, he is self-made and never fails to do work assigned to him. Once a form was to be filled, his colleagues offered help but he refused and did it himself".

Gradually his colleagues began to see his potential and accepting him with respect. Illora, a colleague who sits beside him says, “Whenever a new task is assigned, Pratap leads from the front”. They have never witnessed a negative attitude from Pratap. People and society should understand that hiring people with disability is no crime or charity.

He is a self-made man and understand the meaning of self, does all the household chores by himself - whether washing, making food etc. He leads an independent life and stays alone at the quarters allotted to him by the company.

Guess what? He has the ability to laugh at himself. He smiles whenever someone calls him as squat or undersized.

Assign me any work; I am capable of doing all of them. I don’t need the sympathy of people. Treat me normally and I will love it. I wish that people and society treat disabled with respect and accept them.

This might also interest you that he has represented India at the World Disabled Forum held at China and Japan.

Special facilities are made to make the public places accessible to the handicapped. They don’t face any discrimination or obstacles. In our country, there is a dearth of the obstacle-free environment.

Conclusion

Many people like Raja voice their opinion that "compared to other nation, our nation is less disabled-friendly". He stresses on the need for the friendly and accessible environment for handicapped, children and elderly people. The society should accept and respect the disabled, instead, they see us as a burden.

Today, Raja stands tall as self-dependent man. He also helps other in need.

People like him are called 'handicapped' but we should not forget the fact that each individual is handicapped in one form or the other. Each one of us has some weakness, may be physical, emotional, or mental.
To whom we call disabled are capable in their own way. This is why they're also known as Differently Abled.

##One thing common between them? They are strong within!!

In India:

Census 2001 has revealed that over 21 million people in India as suffering from one or the other kind of disability. This is equivalent to 2.1% of the population. Among the total disabled in the country, 12.6 million are males and 9.3 million are females. Although the number of disabled is more in rural and urban areas. Such proportion of the disabled by sex in rural and urban areas. Such proportion has been reported between 57-58 percent for males and 42-43 percent females. The disability rate (number of disabled per 100,000 populations) for the country as whole works out to 2130. This is 2,369in the case of males and 1,874 in the case of females.

Globally:

One billion people, or 15% of the world's population, experience some form of disability, and disability prevalence is higher for developing countries. One-fifth of the estimated global total, or between 110 million and 190 million people, experience significant disabilities.

References:
Data
The story

You might also like my other blog:- A story of a mother breaking all odds.

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