I took this picture from the Reuters India website while reading news today. Here is the link to the full article.
Frankly speaking, I was yet again heartbroken. A kind of sadness overshadowed the joy of triumph I had after reading the article and seeing this picture. An Indian athlete performing at the highest International level for sports (for the disabled) with one bare feet and rubber slippers in the other. No shoes or spikes even for the right foot. I feel ashamed of myself. Not because of the athlete but for the Indian authorities for not even providing the basic and the minimum to a sports person even if he is disabled, for the society we are now living in the shiny India. I feel so guilty and disgusted at myself right now that I cannot explain it in words.
Some would argue that maybe it was the athlete's choice of being like that. Maybe he felt more comfortable without any fancy shoes. Maybe this is how he lives his daily life in India. Maybe that led to his triumph. I will bluntly reject all arguments and maybes thrown at me in defense of the authorities or even me. I can also give many maybes in reply.
Maybe, it would have been a gold instead of a silver with the shoes.
Maybe, the shoes would have increased the comfort level.
Maybe, his training over a longer period would have helped him.
Maybe, it simply looks more dignified.
Maybe, I am just over-exaggerating and blowing it out of context and proportion.
This picture bares it all for me and the world to see ... the double standard society that we have developed in the 'India Shining' era.
My heartiest congratulations to him for still achieving this feat beating all odds that laid in his path. May thy tribe increase!
15 comments:
A very heartfelt post....as an urban & town planner, I come across thoughtlessness is planning disabled friendly basic infrastructure .....and what you are saying is quite right...we should be more thoughtful...and India shining...not really..I think its India burning!!!
http://sushmita-smile.blogspot.in
During my college days in Germany, for a design competition, a project group who were almost 100% sure of winning from students perspective did not even qualified because the Prof. said it had absolutely no provisions for the disabled !!
But is it possible that a person who could travel to London to participate in the games could not afford or was not provided with proper footwear?
I don't know the answer to that as well. Hence, the post !
You have showed great perseverance behind the blog. It's been enriched since the beginning. I love to share to with my friends. Carry on.
Thanks !
Touching, and as usual, upset over our dear authorities callous attitude. I am sure he is a forgotten person already, where in we celebrate nth Cricket extravaganza.
Our mentality is accept any injustice and non-accountability.
We need to question, en masse.
Touching Post.
My heartiest congratulations also to him for still achieving this feat beating all odds that laid in his path. May thy tribe increase!
Dear Pattu,
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அன்புடன் கோபு
very sad indeed..we are always lacking in empathy and management..govt always spends at the wrong places and on wrong people..
I share all your feelings of shame, helplessness, anger....And to answer the Gardener's question, these athletes go at the cost of the association and don't have to afford the cost of the trip. There is one 'maybe' that could be true -- he didn't want to wear spikes because he felt comfortable in his bare foot and slippers.
The picture really evokes pathos.It is difficult to understand why the requried kit was not provided? However cheers for the spirited participant.
Pattu: You are absolutely right when you say, we need to question. Somehow I feel, our society believes more in following the herd than to introspect :
அன்புடன் கோபு: Amen to that ! May his tribe increase.
Renu: You are right. It is all about bad management but at the same time we as a society need to change our thinking as well.
Zephyr: You are right about that "maybe". I mentioned that in the post as well.
Uppal: The photographer also took that photo for a reason I suppose. Maybe because somewhere he also felt that it was not right and wanted to highlight it to the world.
That 'maybe' was from your post :)
BTW, could I ask you to please have the option for email subscriptions? I find it hard to get notifications in my reader. The mailbox is the best thing for me. I would love to subscribe to your blog. :)
Thank you for the prompt response to my request for the email subscription option :) Not for nothing am I known as the Blog Bully :D
I must thank you instead, Zephyr. There is no better acknowledgement for a blogger when a reader asks to subscribe to his blog. :)
Though I had activated the subscriptions option long back, for some reasons it was not really working and I didn't even knew about it. Thanks for asking me to correct it :)
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