My Will power is my Sight

World disability week Visually impaired Tariq qualified KAS prelims; not allowed to appear in mains
published 12/5/2011 10:10:00 PM by D S AHMAD
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SRINAGAR, Dec 5: He was born blind but his blindness did not dampen his spirit to pursue his education and make the dream of his parents come true. Tariq Bashir Khan, hailing from a remote village of Shangus area in Anantnag was visually impaired by birth and with the passage of time he lost complete eyesight but taking it as his fate he continued his studies with out losing his spirit.

“Though I faced many difficulties during my studies but I never let my will and strength die. Till 9th class the problem was not so severe but in class10th I lost complete eyesight, forcing me to bid goodbye to studies for five years,” Tariq said. Tariq had a passion for higher studies but the loss of eyesight left no ray of hope in him and he would keep sitting at home all the time.

“However one day I played the radio where a blind person who had achieved great success in his life was being interviewed. On listening how he had struggled hard to achieve his goal, I was inspired and I decided to carry on my studies,” Said Tariq.

Braving all the difficulties, Tariq says, he passed both the matriculation and 12th in first division. “In matriculation exams the state board authorities were first reluctant to grant me permission for a scribe who could write on my answer paper but later they were convinced, however in 12th class examination the board officials with out doubting my competency granted permission for a scribe as all their doubts with regard to same had been put to rest earlier while supervising my matriculation exams,” recalls Tariq.

After secondary education Tariq appeared in the entrance test for post graduation in Kashmir University and qualified the same. “In 2009 I completed my PG in history and appeared in the entrance test for M.Phil which I topped but could not complete it as I got selected as a lecturer last year for which I had applied soon after the completion of PG,” Tariq said.

Tariq did not adopt any brail method blind people are taught through but used a tape recorder as an aid to learn and remember things. “I would always keep a tape recorder with me in class room and record the lectures presented by the teachers and lecturers. Then I would listen to it repeatedly and in examination hall dictate it to my scribe,” Tariq said, when asked about the method he adopted during his studies.

The story of Tariq’s success does not end here. He even qualified the civil services prelims but the authorities later shattered his career by not allowing him to appear in the mains for the “sin of being blind.”

“Last year I qualified the KAS prelims for which I was provided a scribe by the authorities. But when I came to final examination (mains) they refused to provide me the same saying there is no such provision for the mains. I pleaded before the concerned officials but they did not listen,” Tariq said.

Tariq also laments the place of his posting as a lecturer which is 25 km away from his home. “Though there is a rule that a person with severe disability should not be posted more than five kilometres from his home. But after my selection the officials concerned, without bothering about my blindness, posted me at DIET Anantnag, 25 kms away from my residence. I pleaded before them for some convenient posting but they told me that you cannot teach the students in Higher Secondary school which was really painful,” laments Tariq.

Though Tariq is satisfied with what he has achieved but the discriminatory attitude towards the disabled on part of the government pains him all the times. “With the help of God I have achieved what was beyond my imagination. My parents wanted me to be an educated person and their dream has come true. But the authorities did not allow me to appear in the high profile exams on grounds of my being disabled. This is something what pains me every time,” says Tariq.