Gerald D'Cunha

“G uru, kaise ho?” It is Shripad, checking about my well-being? “Mein teek hun chela… Tum kaise ho?” “Ek baat puchna tha, Guru…” “Puchlo chela…” This is how our typical conversation goes… Shripad Ragunathan came in my life the way Raghav (Nana Patekar) came in the life of Jay (John Abraham) in the heart-warming movie - ‘Taxi No 9211’! It was 2006, the start of academic year. Shripad was about to start his T.Y. B.Com. One morning, his mother called me up and said, “Sir, I want my son, Shripad, to join your class. Can my husband and I come and talk to you?” The next morning, Shripad’s parents came to meet me. I learnt, that Shripad was their only child and was a ‘differntly-abled special-child.’… that, he was excellent in his self-confidence and speech but had difficulty writing, grasping and socially gelling. He took a lot of time to write and his handwriting was not coherent and legible… His mother, right from hi...

I do not know how they certify a kid as ‘L.D.’… that is, a kid with learning disability. During my teaching career, spanning over nearly four decades, I have come across many kids, now and then, who I am made conscious of as having the so-called ‘Learning Disability.’ The moment I am made conscious of it, my approach towards the student – in my case college kids – does undergo a change… I become more patient, less demanding… and, I try to remind myself, “Hello, you cannot expect the same calculations and the same efficiency from this kid… Understand his plight… show patience.”  And, invariably, I heed to this voice… What is interesting to watch is this: some of these young ones are least interested in this ‘label’… this ‘tag’… of ‘learning disability’. I find them almost hating it… They want the world to  treat them on par with the rest… demand the same work and efficiency from them… show the same level of patience to them. I feel extremely satisfied and pro...

N o matter how difficult life, at times, seems to be, most of us are better placed in life. Take my case: I have a nearly-perfect body… I have no speech or hearing problems, my eyes can see, legs can help me walk, I can use my hands well, by muscles and bones have no issues… Inside, my heart, lungs, liver, kidneys and pancreas are, so far so good… which means, I couldn’t have asked for a better deal… My skin may not be fair like that of a European or American, nor is it black as that of an African… But, hey, I do have skin on my body, at least… Whether white, black, brown or yellow, what the heck? Well, there is hair still on my head… and, even if I did not have that, at least there is a strong head steadily planted over my shoulders?... My family is loving, caring and faithful… Financial state is not bad… God has given me and my family members fine talents and, more than anything else, He has given us the wisdom to recognize and realize them… Yes, there is hope and faith ...