Standing tall
N Ganesh
Its Sunday morning and Ranjitsingh Rajput is busy at Sushursha Centre in Ambernath-tapping with the hammer, tightening screws and packing layers of fabric. All he needs is a few minutes and the prosthetic limbs he works on become as good as new.
Forty-eight-year-old Rajput, who lost his left leg in a road mishap, not only attends to the wear and tear to prosthetic limbs but also makes them, and that too at a very economical price. Orthopaedic departments of all major hospitals in the city avail of his services.
Sushrusha not just provides economical, and sometimes free, artificial limbs. Our organisation works for the complete rehabilitation of disabled persons, says Arun Jadhav, a founder member.
A successful state-level athlete with a secured job in the National Organic Chemicals Industries Ltd (NOCIL), Jadhav never intended to be a social worker. But an accident at the age of 33 changed it all. While doctors managed to save his right leg, they had to cut it short by an inch. And as doctors advised him not put strain on the shortened leg, the reality sank in-he had become disabled and could never play again.
I got all the support from family, friends and place of work. Yet I found the transition into the life of a disabled person very traumatic. Then, I was struck by a thought. How do people with weaker finance and family support manage such situations? recalls Jadhav. This finally led to the birth of Sushrusha.
A disabled persons major worry is being dependent on others and I aimed to get rid of that problem, said Jadhav.
Initially, he would approach the disabled and offer to help them. That is how he met Shashikant Bidvi, who had been rendered disabled by polio in both legs. I was given a handcart to sell stuff. That was the year Shurusha was founded in 1983, Bidvi (42) recalled. Since then he has received 11 replacements for handcart and stalls, 17 replacements for three-wheel cycles and 11 sewing machines. Had it not been for the stall, it would have been difficult for me to sustain myself, said Bidvi. In 2000, Bidvi got a bank loan and got himself a sturdy wooden kiosk.
Nanki Kevalramani, 38, a congenital paraplegic, also transformed into a new person. Born with deformed limbs, Kevalramanis father used to lift her and take her to school. Life for her was restricted to one gloomy corner of her house till she met Jadhav.
Sushrusha arranged for me the corrective surgery and callipers. I was also given a cycle and sewing machines, said Kevalramani. Today she boldly rides a scooter and earns money by doing embroidery. Presently completing a grooming course, she plans to have a beauty parlour of her own. If born disabled, you get into the mindset of being dependent on others. However, Sushrusha has instilled confidence in me and has made me independent, Kevalramani adds.
Padmakant Shah, 71, Shah earns his own living despite being a congenital paraplegic. I sell disinfectants and perfumes to select loyal customers. I myself deliver the goods on my cycle that has been donated by Sushrusha, said Shah. He has already received two replacements for the cycles.
Bidvi, Kevalramani and Shah are among the thousands of disabled persons rehabilitated by Sushrusha over the years.
There are about 18 active members, including Jadhav, who have been keeping Sushrusha afloat on a shoestring budget. We do not have any overheads. Our annual administrative expenditure is a few hundred rupees. Funds are sought from prospective donors when a disabled person requires aid, said Manohar Sutar, one of the active members.
And Sushrusha is not just about prosthetic limbs or sewing machines. Its members were busy preparing for the annual picnic for disabled persons.