Blind boy’s pursuit to skill his brethren

A narrow alley in Natipora leads to a three storey house, and on the top floor, a rectangular-shaped room houses a computer centre, with light coming in through the windows illuminating desks that hold laptops, mobile phones and computer systems, trainees are practising with their routine exercises.

It is just like other computer centres: pupil typing, surfing, learning, and their teacher with apt interest guiding them to handle laptops and mobile phones. The only difference is that both the teacher and the students here are blind, which is not identifiable unless one pays keen attention to this, else it looks like a regular computer learning institute.

Aaqib Hussain Rehman, 19, a tall, lean and an extraordinarily polite boy from south Kashmir’s district Kulgam, has started this ‘noble initiative’ to make young people with visual impairment, self-reliant by equipping them with latest technical know-how, training and motivation to live their lives independently.

“Blind students from different backgrounds, places and reasons come here to learn computers and add up some skills to fine-tune their capabilities and make themselves self reliant. We have students from Kupwara, Bandipore, Kulgam and other places,” says Aaqib pointing out to some of the students working on their desks in the centre.

After initial advertising in local print and broadcast media, Aaqib got a number of applications but after thorough screening, he could select only ten students owing to the financial constraints and non-availability of systems.

“At present, we have ten students who have been registered for this course. We couldn’t accommodate more as there is a limited number of computer systems available with the centre,” he rues.

Every student here has a story or reason to be here, some want to enhance their skills, while others aim to fit into the secretarial works.

“The students enrolled here were chosen primarily on the basis of their merit. Some who are working at different offices need to learn basics of computers, so I prefer them, as this might be their only chance to survive in the field,” he suggested.

Crowdfunding from schools and colleges helped him to arrange some computers, and for now, the centre isn’t charging any fee from the trainees.

“I am not here as a businessman but as a facilitator for people who need my services. My quest to learn landed me in National School for Blind in Delhi in 2016, where I learnt how to be independent. It made me less dependent and more skilled in terms of technology,” adds Aaqib.

Apart from running this centre, Aaqib is doing his graduation from Degree College Kulgam while his family has been a source of continuous support for him over the years.

“I cannot simply thank my parents; they used to come and drop me to school in the morning and collect me in the evening. I have never used Braille system; tape-recorders have helped me during my studies. Presently I am pursuing computer programming, besides studying political science, sociology and psychology,” says Aaqib.

“I have always studied in normal schools, my teachers, however, used to pay extra attention to me, helped me in clearing my doubts and were always there to guide me whenever I needed them,” he says.

Coming from a remote village, this farmer’s son aims at changing people’s perspective towards the blind.

“Our mentality that a blind person can’t do anything; no school, no job, is abysmally a wrong perception and people need to change it for better. We don’t need sympathies, we are equivalent in talent to anyone else or even better and that is what I want to prove to the world,” says this 19-year-old boy.

Despite being unable to see, the ease with which he handles the computer or an android phone leaves one spell bound.

“There is special software that makes the computers, laptops and mobile phones accessible to a blind person, it’s easy and I guess need of the hour; one needs to move forward with time else you will be left behind. Technology can make things easy for a blind person, in the same way, it can for a person who can see,” he strongly believes.

He got an opportunity to study in Delhi but he believes that most of the blind persons here in the Valley come from modest backgrounds and cannot afford to do the same.

“I come from a family that can bear my expenses but others don’t have that privilege,” he says.

Aaqib is familiar with the kind of struggle, pain, agony suffered by blind people owing to the non-sympathetic behaviour of their family, friends and the society, and for this particular reason, he pledges for change.

“I know how blind people are treated here, they are often seen as a burden on their family and the society, which is usually not willing to accommodate them. So I will fight for the rights of the blind that constitute more than 35,000 as per the statistics available. If we take a look at the blind populace outside Kashmir, they are one way or the other associated with schools, businesses and offices and what do we do, we seclude them, which is very unfortunate,” sighs Aaqib.

“If we see how many blind are enrolled in colleges, offices etc., despite reservations, we are not given even what we are entitled to under the law. I am sorry but mere sympathy won’t work,” he said with a firm tone.

Aaqib is also a volunteer with Jammu and Kashmir State Welfare Association of Blind (JKSWAB).

“I handle social networking for the association and want people to note that we exist and are hardly behind them in pursuit of a useful life,” quipped Aaqib.

I was offered a job outside the state while in Delhi but I wanted to help my fellow brothers here and that is the aim of my centre, to help people like me to get on their own feet.

“My modest attempt to make the beginning with just 10 students, five computers and a single room but I want it to expand with the resultant benefits reaching the needy. I dream to change perceptions here. Presently these two rented rooms act as a shelter for me and my associates, but I want a proper accommodation for my students so that they are spared from travelling to and from their homes to the centre in future,” he added.

Aaqib is an avid reader. In his spare time, he likes to read books, and these days he is reading the Kite Runner by Khalid Hosseini.

His father is a fruit grower, who has a blind daughter too, but he has given his children the light of knowledge ‘to illuminate their lives forever’.

“I have a sister who is blind too, she is pursuing her studies from Kashmir University; our parents have always walked an extra mile to help us, and provide us education; I am grateful to Almighty for that,” said Aaqib.

The State of Jammu and Kashmir is not blind friendly in any case, be it their studies, job or hospitals.

“There are laws that entitle us to special status and reservation is especially meant to help people like us but I have not seen anything like that actually happening, it appears on paper only. We are not allowed to be part of normal schools, we are not facilitated with writers in exams, and we are not even given our share of reservation in jobs as well. How many blinds work in offices, how many of them go to school and how many of them are earning, the number must be below 1 percent. It shows our insensitivity towards the whole matter”, questioned Aaqib.

While talking about the fund needed for the services to reach each and every individual who needs it, Aaqib said, “It was very difficult for me to actualize this centre, because no one was interested in helping me. They don’t give loans to blinds people, it’s risky or they feel it’s too lame/naive. So, some friends, colleagues chipped in the money and, we were able to mange these few systems. We need money to expand the activity, and I welcome people to donate their old laptops lying around, computer desktops, to help me to cope with the problem presently faced for skilling disabled people, who will no longer be a burden to their families or to the society,” says Aaqib.

According to him, the biggest hurdle has been people’s disbelief in their disabled counterparts.

“Our lack of faith in people makes working difficult here. Initially, when I used to go to officials or businessmen with my idea, they used to shun me off. It was there that I resolved to fulfil my dream and started it with whatever little was available. I want people to have some faith in us and give a chance to prove ourselves,” yearns Aaqib.

http://m.greaterkashmir.com/news/op-ed/blind-boy-s-pursuit-to-skill-his-brethren/241232.html