I don’t know at what age I started feeling
every bit of emotion on my own, but, from the very first moment of my life, I
have felt someone’s abysmal love for me. She is my elder sister ‘Bhaiya’. I
started ambling and talking at the age of months. You will be surprised to
know that it was just two months after she had started. I learnt fast, she was
a bit slow. But, I have never left her alone and till this day she always finds
me by her side.
She is a cerebral palsy patient by birth. I
have heard from my parents that, as a new born, she was very bubbly, but only
when she was months old did my parents understand but she was not capable of
talking, standing or even sitting. At that age, it was quite aberrant. After
some medical tests, they came to know that their first child was a cerebral
palsy patient. There was no looking back, no abdication. They took her to
various specialists for her treatment. This attempt did not go abortive. It was
the result of God’s blessings and their determination, Bhaiya kept improving.
Each day was a challenge to them. From physiotherapy to speech therapy,
everything was carried out with her. As a result, she is now 80% cured.
In this struggle of Ma and Baba, a new
member came into their family. I was born when she was 5 years old. The nurse
delivered the newborn into two unknown arms. I could not feel the love then,
which made that person hold me tightly in her arms, although she herself had
trembling legs. My Bhaiya touched me, kissed me, and found a new world around
me. She started dreaming of a brighter world which includes this new member of
her family, her sister ‘Bube’. She took care of that baby more than a mother,
supported her more than a friend and loved her more than a lover. I could not
realize when we became the biggest support for each other. My stupid stories
used to start with her blank look, and ended with her innocent smile. She tried
to imitate me in many ways that made her start murmuring one or two words. From that time onwards she dreamt of
achieving her goals with me by her side.
Baba and Ma were happy to see us
loving each other so much. In many families, they have seen siblings fighting
with each other, one neglecting the other. But, our bonding was different and
it was too strong to break. Now, she is more than a friend. She knows about
every book, every copy of my desk. She is so aware of my studies that her
interest makes me show my report card to her before showing it to my parents.
After passing the 2nd standard
she was admitted to a normal school to have better communication skill.
Unfortunately our country does not provide an education system that can be
conducive to this type of children. She struggled a lot, passed every standard
till class 10. After that, she gave up, thanks to our education system. It has
never helped such children to get promoted with a lower percentage. She learnt
painting and now she is having training in a beauty clinic named ‘Shakambhari’.
In our society, most people are
sympathetic, but these children don’t need sympathy. Yes, from my experience, I
am saying that, they need support and love from every one. Negligence gives
birth to inferiority complex in them, and this stops their progress. It is very
disappointing that, still in this 21stcentury, they are treated so
badly that they forget to believe in themselves. Not as a sister, but as a
human being, I request the society- please do not neglect them; instead try to
encourage them to move on so that, breaking all the barriers, they can be brought
into the main stream of the society. Like normal children, they also deserve a
better chance to grow and look at the future. So, please provide them a
supportive society and let their hopes shine.
Contributed by
Srijani Mukherjee