Showing the Way: Cancer couldn't hollow his positive vision

Aparna Banerji

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, December 20

“The only disability in life is a bad attitude,” says Dr Deepak Anand.

He is 46 and a headmaster of a government school which is known for promoting excellence in education with a heart for disabilities. He has a PhD in social sciences, is a special educator, a guidance counsellor and serving divyangjans is his life’s passion. Even amid pandemic, when he was touring villages to admit new students to his school, he looked for differently-abled children primarily; keen to provide them a chance to lead a better life.

While life changed five years ago when Multiple Myeloma — a rare cancer — caused a medical condition which incapacitated 83 per cent of his body, Dr Anand was quick to make the change. He took his time, read a lot and within months used the new scenario to further learn and deal with disabilities better. He is now collecting various local applications from disabled to authorities from time to time and compiling them in the form of a book.

He cleared the Punjab Public Service Commission exam last year and also got the headship of the school. He will now be appearing for an exam for principalship of school shortly. Having defied odds, the kind headmaster is always exploring new opportunities for his wards. He also holds additional charge of Government Middle School, Talwandi Mehma. Be it the Punjab Achievement Survey or English Booster Club, he is always enlisting students for newer projects, surveys and contests. He is also a district election coordinator for specially-abled, district coordinator Special Olympics and member of Down’s Syndrome Association, Punjab.

“I always wanted to work with the differently-abled. Along with my regular studies, I wanted to help the sector. I have an M.Ed in special education and am a qualified counsellor and educator. However, I had never thought that I would also be a standing on the other side one day. My life was completely changed by cancer. It caused extreme disability in my left leg and a condition of pathological fracture due to weak bones,” he shares

His life completely changed, both for good and bad. “Those times taught me about hope, about knowledge and patience. If we do not leave hope anything is possible. I take a longer time than usual tasks. My bones have weakened, I am wheelchair-bound but what is liberating is I can empathise and teach people. I am busier than ever!” His schedule is very tight and there are plenty of things he accomplishes in a day, perhaps much more like any normal person. “It has taught me a lot of things which I earlier would never know,” he adds.

Since there were three differently-abled students at his school (Government High School, Razapur) so, during admissions this year, he went to several remote villages exhorting more to join. Speaking about the perception of disability, the gold medalist in MA and a single parent says, “People in Punjab need to be sensitised. They don’t know about the sector. Many at first think of them as an object of ridicule but our job is to patiently teach them. Those from the sector need to educate the others. There have been times I faced ridicule, even students. But I talked, told them stories about the disabled; made them learn. And now the same students are very helpful towards differently-abled.”