More often than not, via several mediums
especially social media, attention is constantly drawn to the fact that we live
in a world where people with disabilities are generally shunned and
stigmatised. Often, many of these would-be young achievers are kept confined
within the walls of their homes. Yet, in an attempt to break these very walls
down, Soniya Patil, through her recent achievements has sent out a clear message
to all the parents to send their children out to schools that cater to the
needs of special children, as opportunities like hers could knock at any time.
In what was a moment of pride for Goa, and
especially for Soniya, the 16-year old Special Olympics Gold medalist in
athletics went on to become the only Goan intellectually disabled child to be
selected among 10 children from across the country to interact with Prime
Minister Narendra Modi on the eve of Teachers Day. This interaction was
conducted via a video-conferencing session coordinated by the Prime Minister’s
office.
The daughter of a daily wage worker and a
woman who serves as domestic help, Soniya is a student of Panjim-based Disha
School, which is supported by the Disha Charitable Trust. On her achievement,
Sandhya Kalokhe, the Manager of Disha School and the Secretary of the Disha
Charitable Trust, says “She was so spontaneous and relaxed, that it took us all
by surprise. We had almost no confidence that she would interact so well. All
the credit goes to her teachers. It is certainly a great achievement.”
Soniya joined the school in the year 2006
when she was just 6 years of age. Beaming with pride at her daughters’
achievements, her mother, Laxmi says, “Soniya used to fight with students at
her earlier school and I used to get complaints every now and then. It was then
that I was told she had a ‘problem’. I was scared and uncertain of her future
until I enrolled her at Disha School. It was one of the best decisions I have
ever made as I am no longer worried. She can be whatever she wants to be and do
whatever she loves.”
The interaction with the Prime Minister was
not a one day affair either. It took a lot of training to prepare Soniya for
the interaction. This included special sessions with a speech therapist who
worked on her vocabulary. The training was followed by a mock interview by
officials in the Education Department, footage of which was sent to the PM’s
office. Additionally, there were rehearsals that ensured that all technical
issues were ironed out. On September 3, she was confirmed to have been
shortlisted.
On interacting with Prime Minister,
Narendra Modi, Soniya says, “He asked me, what did you get from the USA? I said
I got a medal,” while breaking into a broad smile. Soniya went on to ask the
Prime Minister what games he enjoyed playing. Acknowledging Soniya’s
achievement and responding to her query, the Prime Minister said “Whenever a
woman shines on the sports field, the mother of the child has a very important
contribution. Soniya is a child with special needs. I congratulate her. She
wants to know what games I play. Everybody knows what games politicians play.
As a child I played kabaddi, swam a bit and did yoga. I had a PT teacher called
Parmar Sir. I used to go exercise in his small exercise room.”
Doubtlessly, Disha School, along with its
contemporaries that undertake such endeavours face myriad challenges while
nurturing the kids they take in. But every now and again, a child like Soniya
comes along, making it seem all worthwhile. Veena Shejwalkar, the Principal at
Disha School sums it up when she says “Our efforts have paid off, Soniya’s
achievement is the biggest gift to us,” her eyes glistening with pride for her
student.
