For the Disabled

When life turns against you, there are two options. Either you beat a retreat or you take on the beatings, stand stoic against all odds, remain optimistic and emerge triumphant. Advocate K. Kathiresan belongs to the second category.

When polio strikes a normal healthy boy at the age of four, it can be devastating for the parents. And so it was for Kathiresan’s. Though crestfallen, they blamed it on destiny and knocked every Government and Corporation-run school in Madurai requesting for their son’s admission.

The year was 1979 and every school apparently turned away the child. Finally, a neighbour and a teacher of Seventh Day Adventist School took up Kathiresan’s case and got him admitted there. 

“Though I was small, I think I understood that I was being rejected everywhere for my handicap and I vowed to outshine even normal students. God helped me and I was hard working. Right through my school and college, I was a rank holder, got scholarships to fund my studies and hence was never a burden on my poor mechanic father. And my asset all through has been my set of friends,” 

School life was protected and because he excelled in academics, he was the school hero too. 

“Everybody knew me and I enjoyed the luxury and comfort of my status. Only when I joined college, I felt lonely and lost in a big world.”

Initially Kathiresan dreamt of becoming a doctor, but subsequently enrolled himself at The American College for Computer Studies and also sat for the law entrance exam under the open quota. “I was not aware of any Government welfare scheme for the disabled. My scores earned me a scholarship for the five year B.A.B.L course,” he narrates. But restless about the lack of attention paid to the disabled population and also low awareness levels of the disabled about various programmes run for them, Kathiresan with the help of his like-minded school and college friends floated the ‘Akshaya Rehabilitation Trust’ when he was still in III Year.

“I was looking at social inclusion of PWDs (Persons with Disability), equal opportunities for them in every field and also getting their full participation,” says the founder chairman of Akshaya.

Executing dreams are always tough but Kathiresan is the types who get tough when the going gets tough. “My idea is to act as a resource centre for both PWDs and the non-disabled youths through a process of organisation, training, networking and education and facilitating for collective action for a holistic development,” he says. A decade on, Kathiresan is far from satisfied. Changes have been negligible here, he rues. His organisation with 1600 enrolments, provides free legal aid to PWDs and stakeholders (parents and family members), he feels the society as such remains largely insensitive. For instance, the Collector’s office, the new court building of Madurai Bench, few hotels and schools are the far and few disabled-friendly buildings in the city. “People should understand that the disabled are very much a part and parcel of the society and not beggars asking for charity alone. It is our right to be safeguarded by the system but then it is unfortunate that the Government machinery is failing to utilise the huge human resource and talent that is with the disabled. It is going a waste.”

What irks Kathiresan further is the attitude of people who are appointed to serve the disabled. “There may be lot of benefits announced by the Government now for the disabled. But the truth is there are even more hurdles to avail of those benefits,” he points out.

Providing psycho-social care to the disabled is uppermost in Kathiresan’s mind and his another major concern is the exploitation of the more vulnerable section among the disabled, the women. Also, he is keen on breaking the myth that disabled individuals should marry from within their community only.

Kathiresan prides in the fact that he married his childhood sweetheart from school amid 

opposition from her family. She is a normal girl and a qualified fashion designer from NIFT, Chennai. Two years ago, the duo married after convincingly working together for years for the welfare of the disabled people. And only last week, they were blessed with a healthy son and obviously Kathiresan can’t hide his joy. “I have been promoted as a father,” he smiles and adds he felt equal happiness when he was admitted as an Advocate on the Roll of the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu five years ago.

“Today, my parents are very happy and proud. They feel they are getting all sweet blessings after going though lot of bitter pain and suffering,” says Kathiresan, who is now preparing for the Judges exam.

Incidentally, Kathiresan’s accomplishments have not only been in the field of academics. He has also returned with medals from the British Open Athletics Championship, 2005 in wheelchair race and discus throw. And he adds, he loves to watch films and enjoys music but time is a casualty.

But for those like Kathiresan, people may perhaps choose to remain ignorant and insensitive. And the young physically challenged advocate, who fights civil and criminal cases, is determined not to let that happen.

Physically Challenged- Ruling the Media World

Have we seen any one walking with legs and hands together as daring Lion to walk alone and tread a path to truth? Yes, he is a person who has changed everything around himself by sheer will and audacity. Visualizing innovative concepts and taking it to realization level is in his DNA. Flawless execution of the conceptualized strategy is his exemplary strength. He is a first media stalwart who carried his vision in this naughty world of powerbrokers. His dare ness to dream and to bare the truth allowed him to challenge the physical world despite being physically challenged.

Meet the man Natar Ravi Subbaiah, Managing Director and Chief Editor of Navi Mumbai Television (NMTV) Pvt. Ltd, who got inflicted from polio at the very early age with the soul remaining unaffected. He turned adversity into opportunity and entered into cable and news business which was primarily a domain of powerful well networked people He is a teacher, a guardian, an inspiration, a motivation.

His principle in life is

‘Be slaves to nothing but duty and friends to nothing but merit.’

Black Friday is observed as an inauspicious day but Ravi was born on black Friday on 13th January 1969. He was born to a poor South Indian family living in Dharavi slums in Mumbai. Initial happiness that brought fate to a family when his father got a permanent job turned into sorrow and pain when he got severe polio attack and resulted in the temporary loss of speech and hearing and permanent disability of both the lower limbs for the boy. But destiny decided against the fate and he was the only survivor of the 25 polio victims who were admitted to the Orthopedic Hospital at Haji Ali, Mumbai. For consistent income for the family he started giving tuitions in early student life and later started Kaizen Engineering Classes.. He lost his childhood in struggle for his existence.

Raviji’s education was itself a great challenge He passed Std. 12th brilliantly and opted for the stream of science. But again here he had to face the hard and harsh realities of his life and being told that his physical state would not suit the long hours of standing and working in the laboratories. With no choice, he then opted for the stream of commerce at Rayat Shikshan Sanstha’s Modern College situated at Vashi, Navi Mumbai and got first class degree in 1990.But the years of struggle and the passage of time had turned him into a young self-motivated man. He turned from a dependent kid to an independent young warrior.

The fight to survive and to carve out his own niche,  Ravi chooses to be an entrepreneur and create job for needy and deprived. . 

 “Early struggles in life due to my disability has helped me see the real meaning of life. I strongly believe that nothing is impossible and that I am as able as anyone else” 

When asked how he came in cable business in the world of many other business options, Ravi said, “I am an ardent cricket fan. In 1987 I went to get a cable connection to watch India Australia match. But all the cable owners asked for exorbitant price and refused me to get connection. Here I took the challenge of being a cable operator. Cable TV business is one the most unorganized sectors to work in. Even for the striving man, it meant underworld threats, political pressure and all sorts of coercions from many to discontinue. But the young man believed that being an Indian he had every right to work and earn on this land’s soil and that too in accord of his choice of business. With the same grit, determination, courage, God’s grace and this time support from not only family but also friends and well-wishers, he progressed and his business flourished. Today Ravi is the Founder and Director of SSV Cable Pvt. Ltd., the largest cable TV network of Navi Mumbai.

After leaving his footprint in cable business he thought to be voice of people. His penchant to serve the society witnessed the birth of NMTV.  

 “Being a person with disability, hailing from an economically weak background, since childhood I have seen the real issues of people up, close and personal. That is, I always wanted to do something for the people. So when I got an opportunity I joined the media industry.”  

Initially he started a half an hour a day video news magazine And today NMTV became the most popular and trusted 24 hrs local cable news station. He claims that his channel is different from other news channel. He quipped, “NMTV is a news channel for solution, not for sensation. We strive to be the most trusted and reliable platform for the masses. The channel believes in the ideology of awakening & enlightening people with human values besides being informative and educative.” He wishes to make NMTV a satellite channel with local content.  

Today NMTV’s ‘Navi Mumbai News’ in English, Hindi & Marathi bring all the problems that is the plague of the society. The apathy of authorities, the corrupt action of governing bodies and the ignorance that prevails in people which does not allow flourishing a healthy ambiance for people to live in, is content mantra of NMTV. ‘Navi Mumbai News’ detect such problems awakening the mass with knowledge and resulting corrective actions, that their stains can be washed from the existing social fabric.. Under Ravi’s dynamic leadership, Navi Mumbai Television is the 1st cable News channel in India to have been awarded the state’s accreditation. NMTV is accredited news channel by the Govt. of Maharashtra for viewership and quality programming.

 Ravi ji’s soul lies in people and working for deprived and downtrodden is his passion. He leaves no stone unturned to bring out a positive and visible change in life of a deprived person. To convert his passion into reality he started “Handicapped Welfare Association”, the purpose of which was to provide support to these special people that they did not get prior to this. Handicapped Welfare Association is a Non-Government Organization working for ‘Equal opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation for Disabled’ in Navi Mumbai and to bring immediate and effective solutions for the cause of the handicapped.

  

Despite facing a hostile world Ravi turned his dreams into reality. Now he is getting his due from the society .The Indian Merchants Chambers has conferred the “Jewel of Navi Mumbai” award to Ravi Subbaiah for his contributions as a media person in making a beautiful Navi Mumbai. Apart from that Ravi Subbaiah was also awarded the International Galilean Award 2008 for community service from the platform of NMTV. For his work and research in the field of media, he has been honoured with an honorary Doctorate from the University of Jerusalem this year.

  

Married with his soul mate Deepika Rani-, he is blessed with two daughters Marilyn and Carolyn. When asked how lady luck smiled on him he said, “Deepika is again God sent who gave me love and care after my mother. Despite facing hostile in-laws we got married. After my mother, my wife stood by me at all times. And today she has given me what I call ‘the most precious gifts of life’-two lovely daughters Marilyn and Carolyn.”

Inspired by Mahatma Gandhi and Mother Teresa, Ravi thinks that India is in the infant stage to join as a world media giant. “There is more than what catches the eye. We are big copy cats copying the western media. Real issues are neglected, ignored and hidden.” He said. He finds present state of political affairs to be pathetic and a dynastic political system with the rich & mighty becoming more richer and more powerful while the poor, more poorer and weak.

Being the Editor-in-Chief of NMTV and editing the real burning issues of the common helpless man is his most challenging job everyday. His idea of happiness is being satisfied with what we has and making the best use of it for others. He loves his special car most with the clutch & brakes, everything in his two hands. The car gives him the mobility and he is able to conduct so many of his VIP meetings in that instead of crawling upstairs.

Ravi has achieved which he dared to dream. Now he wants to give back to society what he has achieved. He is definitely a jewel and ambassador of compassionate humanism. He is a model which taught to the world that adversity is a challenge and at the same time an opportunity. He is an ignited soul who ignites dreams in other deserving soul. Helping others is his idea of happiness and preserving the fabric and harmony of society is his mission.