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Defying the odds
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The life of Rajaram Sridhar, the founder of Maitri Educational and Charitable Trust is one of turning challenges into opportunities.
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THE STORY of Rajaram Sridhar, 57, the founder of Maitri Educational and Charitable Trust (ME&CT), should be an inspiration to all the physically disabled who are intimidated by the odds.
Born as a normal child, Sridhar was struck by polio when he was 18 months old. It left his left side and lower limb completely paralysed. Luckily for him, his brain was not affected and his parents decided to educate their son. But it did not take them long to realise the practical difficulties involved. "Since I couldn't move on my own, my parents had to carry me whenever there was a change of class room. Due to the inconvenience involved, I was forced to discontinue my studies at the age of eight." And till he was 40 years old, when one of his relatives gifted him with a wheel chair, Sridhar was confined for a major part of his life, to his home. However, it did not dampen his zest for learning. "I enrolled for a correspondence course and also started learning the nuances of the English language by reading newspapers and watching programmes on the BBC." The result is amazing as he speaks with an almost impeccable accent. Meanwhile, Sridhar also learnt German and mastered the science of astrology.
"The fact that you are disabled doesn't mean you don't have the desires and aspirations of a normal human being," says Sridhar. As a teenager, his interest was in cricket. "Since I couldn't contribute to the game as a player I kept the scores."
The first thing Sridhar did on getting his wheelchair was to explore the world around. "I travelled over 15,000 kms from Chennai to the Himalayas by rail and road. It was a remarkable experience. It gave me a feeling that I had achieved something." It was this sense of satisfaction that later prompted him to start ME&CT, a trust for children and youth from economically poor background. "I don't want them to experience the same hardships I went through," he says.
His ME&CT provides education for over 110 students from various parts of the city apart from conducting health camps and distributing medical aids and audiocassettes for the disabled and the visually impaired. For details, Sridhar can be contacted at ME&CT, New No. 17/2, Old No.6/2, Nathamuni Street, T. Nagar, ph: 2815 6880.
SANGEETH KURIAN
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