Gifted...

If I asked any one of you what is the best gift of mankind? Few of you will say materialistic things, some of you might say logical thinking mind and some of you will say this earth with water to drink and air to breathe or some of you might even say a pair of opposable thumbs which made us humans come this far in Darwin’s theory of evolution. All of you are right in your own fashion and agree with you.

However, I feel the gifts of mankind are our traditional five senses

• Sense of Sight
• Sense of Hearing
• Sense of Smell
• Sense of Touch
• Sense of Taste


However, the best of them is Sense of sight. Why? If I have to tell this out which I will but if you did not get an opinion still, then my request to the one who is reading this Post is please look in to your life properly after reading the next lines.

It was Wednesday October 14th, 2009 I was heading somewhere and in Jayanagar, Bengalooru there is a place not far from my house called Shanthi Park Apartments. It’s a big junction as a lot of traffic moves around that place; I was driving through this road that’s when I noticed a visually impaired girl standing to cross the road. I saw that she was waiting for somebody to help her cross the road. I was about to stop but I saw a girl crossing the road seeing that I assumed that she must be trying to help the visually impaired girl. I drove ahead but something told me to slow down and I just looked back in the rear view mirror. The visually impaired girl was still standing there and the girl who crossed the road just went in to the apartments.

I stopped and turned around in a one way traffic. Luckily traffic was light that time and I was on the left side of the road. I drove back on one way street since I had stopped within few yards. I did not have to go a long way. I know I broke a rule but a rule is not more for me than humanity. I went and asked the girl “shall I help you to cross the road?” She said yes. I helped her cross the road but the moment I was helping her cross the road. I felt it’s not she who is visually impaired it’s we who are visually impaired. I would like to specifically point out the two guys who were standing and gossiping beneath the tree which was behind her. The girl: who crossed the road and still walked away even after seeing this girl standing there. Visually Impaired is the local municipal corporation who has not done any arrangements in spite of being aware of the fact that there is a School for Visually Impaired in the opposite locality.

When I walked up to that Visually Impaired Girl I saw desperation in her, hoping that somebody out there would help her out. She must have been thinking If only I had a bit of sight so that could cross the road on my own. These people who are visually impaired are not so by choice or for even a matter of fact a person who is Physically / Mentally challenged is not in such a situation by choice. It’s how they came here, here in to this earth. They also deserve an equal opportunity to survive and make a living just like the rest of you and me. But why in god’s name are we not giving them / helping them? Here WE are the people who are not physically / mentally challenged. Here the difference between them and us is time and if time chooses it can turn tables on us it can do anything.


I chose to write this article after I saw how beautiful this world, a visually impaired person does not have the ability to do so as well. He / she will never see how beautiful a sunrise / sunset is or how beautiful this nature is. If he / she cannot see how beautiful the creator has created us, imagine if a visually impaired by birth asks us what color is? I will never be able to explain. Can you? I know visually impaired can dream but it’s never proved whether they dream is in color or in monochrome as they do not know what color is.

I know all the senses are equally important and I am wrong in saying this is the best sense but actually one among the best. But I don’t mind being wrong as I owe a lot to these visually impaired people from that school. They changed how I look in to life? They have taught me how happy I can be, they were the ones who brought happiness back in to my life. When I was in depression and lost hope in life. Why I lost hope in life? Why I was in depression is my secret? And I visit this visually impaired school whenever I feel that I do not have anything in life. I go there and when I come out I feel that I am gifted.

I know this is an emotional post; some of you might have had watery eyes by now. If not its ok but I did when I wrote this post I did have water in my eyes as I am a very emotional person. I am moved by emotions. My sister had a tough time battling my bag of emotions when we were growing up and so did my mom. My ex-girlfriend had a tough time keeping up with my emotional turbulence. Ask my team and my managers how much they have to fight with my baggage of emotions. Now this emotional fool has a humble request actually two requests to all practical and emotional people out there in this world.

1. Please donate your eyes before you are deceased and ensure that you fulfill that pledge and your family understands it. Gifting sight is considered as the greatest gift you can give to somebody.
2. In any place if you find any Physically / Mentally Challenged person then do not stop yourself from asking them if they need help. I know they might say No but do not be put off by it. They are very proud people and take pride in being self dependent and please respect that.

I know like everybody you might say WIIFM (What’s In It For Me) / WSI (Why Should I) / WWIG (What Will I Get). I won’t say blessings / a ticket to heaven and such crap. It is the least thing we could do for being a human. What say? These people do not want your pity but your support. Please stand with them for support and not against them who knows someday we might be standing among them fighting others like us.

Like Hrishikesh Mukerji said in his classic movie Bawarchi "Apna Kaam Sabhi Karte hain, Kabhi Doosron ka kaam karke dekho kitni khushi milti hai" loosely translated it means "Everybody is supposed to do their work but try doing somebody else’s work. You will find immense joy in it." But I would say make somebody's day or even better life by your gift of sight.