Ours is a heartless society especially for the handicapped people. We continue to be unaware of the misery we are creating for these tortured souls. Poverty, lack of education and ignorance multiply these problems many fold.
Indra is the daughter of an army personnel. At the tender age of 15 years she was married off and gave birth to a daughter after 1 ½ years of marriage. Her husband lived in a small village where medical facilities were just not available. Immediately after the birth of the child complications arose and she not only lost her baby but also her eye sight.
Her husband promptly divorced her stating that he could not afford to keep a handicapped wife. Her parents got her treated as much as they could do and she recovered some of her eyesight. They also thought it best to get her remarried and found a widower in the nearby village who consented to provide her the shelter. She gave birth to a son but unfortunately the baby died after about 15 days of birth.
A year passed by and her father-in-law passed away. There arose disputes about the small property, the family owned. Once again she was sent back to her parental home. Her mother was greatly worried about her daughter’s future and in great apprehension she also died.
Her father was in no better mental state. He would often talk about leaving the village or going on his own and one fine day he just disappeared from the village. By this time Indra had completely lost her eyesight and her right hand underwent contracture.
She arrived in Pingalwara with nothing but complete despair in her heart for her future. She could see nothing, do nothing with her hand which hung limply by her side. She could not even carry out her daily activities like taking bath, dressing up or grooming. She required not only dedicated medical support but also emotional nursing. It took considerable time just to make her realize that she could still lead a normal happy life. The changes were slow to come but she realized that all was not lost. Her hand was being nursed to controlled movement with therapy and ultrasound. Perhaps what made her recovery remarkable was her keen interest in music. As she regained strength in her hands; the harmonium became her constant companion and with the melodious notes she found her voice. Now she regularly recites Kirtan and is leading a life which she thought was never possible.
