Ranendra Kumar Dhar

E – Book Written by Ranendra Kumar Dhar Designed by I. Bala Bhanu Shri Arun Jaitley Union Minister of Information & Broadcasting Government of India releasing the book A HANDICAP IS NOT A HANDICAP at New Delhi dated 17 January 2000 . THE STATESMAN New Delhi Kalkotta Bhubaneswar Guwahati part- THE STATESMAN New Delhi Kalkotta Bhubaneswar Guwahati part- Pioneer New Delhi Bhopal Lucknow- THE HINDU New Delhi Hyderabad Chennai Bangalore- Millelium edition Alumni newsletter NEWS and VIEWS front page Oct 2000 Millelium edition Alumni newsletter NEWS and VIEWS back page Oct 2000 MY MEDIA WORK ALONG WITH MY DISABILITY FOR THE DISABILITY SECTOR This paper was present to the ACADEMIC CONGRESS, UNIVERSITY OF DELHI on 7 th SEP, 2012. It seems just yesterday but it is yesteryears now that I have traversed a long way to overcome my disability i.e; congenital cleft palate [handicap of speech since birth]. I could not speak at all during my infancy and childhood. At that time, all other children were reciting nursery rhymes to their parents, uncles & aunts, friends and I was lost in my silent world. In fact, my case was more tragic, I could not even speak the most beautiful word “ Maa ” meaning mother. Yes, indeed this was the start of my life. I had four surgical operations to correct my palate and the last one was when I was 21 years old. Still remember, very vividly; how I use to profusely bleed from my mouth when I use to get operated each time. Truly, I had paranoia for operation theaters. After my two operations – the first one when I was 18 months and second one when I was 3 – 4 years old – that I had to undergo a tormentous speech therapy sessions . It was really hurting as my palate use to pain a lot. My speech therapist was an European lady. I use to cry all the time as it was a real torture on my palate and I could not even express myself in any other way. Simply could not utter any word at any cost. To talk in sentences was a dream but my speech therapist was very professional and she used all her goodwill might & force that I do the speech therapy properly even if I was weeping most of the time. Today, I know because of her discipline and hard work that I have learnt to speak so well. Next was school admission. The tale is long and filled with rejection and dejection at every step. No school was willing to admit me because of my hoarse and coarse voice. My parents especially my mother tried to get me admitted in a number of normal schools. All of them refused vehemently. Some school Principals, even suggested that I may go to deaf & dumb school. Finally, the doors of the Providence opened. I was admitted to St. Xavier’s School, Delhi. Thus, a new bold chapter began in my life. Schooling was extremely difficult in the initial years. When I joined, most of the students teased me because of my ugly, nasal accent. Gradually, I made some friends and till date, we are in touch. I also rose in my stature during my schooling period but it in one activity which I was totally against to do it as described below for you. One of my English teachers late Reverend Father Beez, S.J. asked me to join the debating forum in the school. I answered in the negative but Father Beez insisted. I cursed myself that I was not at all good in speaking and yet asked me to join the debating club. Father Beez told me “Overcome your Weakness, the world will bow to you” Today, I feel the very depth and truth of this great understanding of life . I became one of the finest debators in school and also in college. I graduated from Delhi University and now the job search began. Everywhere, I went, on some pretext or the other; I was refused jobs. A number of the organizations also reminded me of my speech disability. I showed them my debating certificates but of no avail. It really hurt me so much that talent , qualifications mean nothing but the label of disability was a marked pronouncement of my career. The Almighty has a specific role for everyone to play and it was destined. One of my aunts suggested that since I was good at photography since my childhood and so why, I did not take up this vocation for me. Actually, my first photographs came out when I was in the sixth standard in my school magazine when covering the Republic Day Parade. Again in the college magazine, all the photographs that I took in the various botanical excursions and all other event photos were published. It was because of these activities, that my aunt proposed the idea of becoming a photographer. At first, I brushed aside the idea but later gave it a serious thought. So, from school days, college period my stint as an amateur photographer ended and made me as what I am today. The national media has highlighted both my life & works for almost one & a half decades – the CV tells the kind, quality and quantity of work; I have carried so far. In this presentation, I will give a brief of the work that I have carried out for the cause, promotion & awareness in the disability sector. It started with so much ridicule, sarcasm , taunts I have faced since birth on account of my speech handicap which I have very briefly described earlier in this paper . So, it was this burning zeal to do something for my disabled fraternity. As I was in the news section of Delhi Doordarshan and that too, a news cameraman and so from there; whenever the need arose, I have done many news stories about the handicapped but I had greater dreams for them. The first one was the telefilm “SABAK” which I shot, directed & produced towards the promotion of the welfare of the disabled people. The film created a all time record as it was telecast 14 times on Doordarshan National channel in 1991. So, when I got so much appreciation, next I ventured to make a television serial for them entitled “BADHTE KADAM” in 1998 which was a greater success than my previous project. In fact, the first episode of this serial “Ishwar ki awaz meaning Voice of God” was based upon my own life and its experiences as presented here to this vast intelligentsia at the Academic Congress 2012 Delhi University. Then I went on to write a book “A HANDICAP IS NOT A HANDICAP” and interestingly the book was designed by a spastic person Bala Bhanu . If you like, I can send you e-book free of cost. Later, I made a number of news & current affairs series. Some of them are enlisted below:World of the Differently Abled (2001) Able the Disabled (2002) The last assignment was a great experience for learning and very interesting too. I took a full fledged diversion to Academics to become the Associate Director & Technical Head [ 2011 ] of one of the leading media schools in Delhi – Pioneer Media School where I taught , supervised all sorts of audio visual projects etc; both for the under as well as post graduate students of mass communication courses. This is just the summing up of my little contribution – just a drop in the ocean – towards the disability sector and I feel humbled to present my services in this regard. Let me end, with the beautiful lines of great English poet Robert Frost sleep” Thanks RANENDRA KUMAR DHAR “miles to go before I