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chandrakant

chandrakant
ukarda
chudasma , diu

Chandrakant Ukarda Chudasma (28) stands in a classroom with arms folded across his chest. He wears a gold chain, and a red and blue checked half-sleeved shirt tucked into blue trousers. He has closely cropped hair and there is a cloth badge saying ‘Vaatsalya’ stitched to the left breast of his shirt. He is flanked by wooden desks and there is a blackboard hanging on the wall behind him. The board shows a chalk drawing of a cartoon figure rendered in pink and blue, showing a smiley face, a round belly, and stick-like arms and legs.
A smiling Chandrakant, wearing a cobalt-blue T-shirt, stands with his arms by his sides inside the family provision store. He is surrounded by shelves stocked with packaged goods. There are snacks such as biscuits and chocolates and cosmetics such as soaps, creams and shampoos.
Chandrakant, wearing his school uniform of red and blue checked shirt and blue trousers, stands in the school corridor, holding a framed photo and a trophy. The brass trophy is wrapped in clear plastic and says ‘1st Prize’ at the bottom. The photo shows Chandrakant in his school uniform, holding the same trophy and standing next to two men. The man next to him wears a blue safari suit and the other man, who has a long white beard, wears a white kurta. The men are holding up a framed certificate between them.
Chandrakant is undergoing physical therapy in a room. He is lying on his stomach on a patient-examination table cushioned with black padding. He has propped himself up with his hands, raising his chest and head. A man in a green and grey checked shirt stands next to the table. He is pushing down on Chandrakant’s thighs with his right hand and gripping Chandrakant’s left shoulder with his left hand.
Chandrakant poses with his family sitting side by side in a row against a plain grey wall. From left to right: brother Shyamji (40), mother Ladubehen (62), Chandrakant and sister-in-law Bharti (38). Shyamji has a scruffy beard and wears a brown T-shirt with grey pants. Ladubehen wears a yellow blouse and a sari in a pattern of dark green, light green and light blue; her pallu is draped over her head. Chandrakant wears olive green trousers paired with a half-sleeved shirt in white, grey and brown stripes. Bharti wears a navy blue sari with a border of thin yellow, black, red, white and green stripes; her blouse is stitched in the same material.
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“I love to watch ‘Indian Idol’ and take photos of people with the cell phone camera”

All Chandrakant Ukarda Chudasma wanted early in life was a gold chain. This 28-year-old from Vanakbara, Diu had been fascinated by people wearing it and been yearning for it since his teens. When he was finally gifted one a couple of years ago by Shyamji, he was moved to tears and hugged his brother tightly. He knew that Shyamji, 12 years older, himself didn’t possess one. All the gratitude and delight he could not put into words must have been conveyed through that bear hug!
 
Born with Cerebral Palsy (CP), Chandrakant is speech-impaired although he is able to listen and understand. However, together with his extended family comprising his mother Ladubehen (62), Shyamji, his wife Bharti (38) and their four children, they have jointly developed a sign language that has evolved over time. Bharti helped us communicate with him during this interview.
 
CP has impacted Chandrakant’s limbs and he walks with a limp. He reads, but cannot write since his hand movements are shaky. However he can manage his daily routine on his own. When he was born, the family tried out local treatments such as mud therapy and then took him to larger hospitals nearby. Doctors indicated that his quality of life may not significantly improve. But this did not dent his spirit.
 
Eight years ago, Chandrakant started attending a vocational school, Vaatsalya, which trained him in making puja items such as agarbattis, decorative garlands for festivities and the like. His niece, Vanshika, helps him improve his craft skills. He also works in the school’s sales outlet which sells the merchandise the students make. He is not being paid though he has been pressing the school to recompense him. Moreover, the school, which used to provide a daily meal, has stopped doing so.
 
Certainly this is a dampener but his family has been propping up his morale. It is not easy for him to stay the course since he has to commute around 12 km by bus or use his hand-pedalled tricycle to reach the school. He has found a way to manage the routine with the help of his family and commutes by himself. He uses his tricycle for his essential requirements and to run errands for the family too. The family lives above a provision store that Shyamji runs. Chandrakant assists his brother at the store. He learned to count up to 25 early on and is comfortable handling the essential transactions at the shop.
 
When Chandrakant meets someone he likes to take their photo on the family’s cell phone. In fact he is very fond of taking photos and pretty much monopolises the mobile when the family doesn’t use it. Since his hand is not steady, his niece or a friend or a neighbour helps him. He gets annoyed when his nephew, who studies elsewhere, comes to Diu during weekends and commandeers the phone. After all, it is his connection to the world and he watches devotional songs, Tom and Jerry cartoons and YouTube videos on it. Another pastime is TV. He loves _Indian Idol_ and his favourite singer is Pawandeep Rajan, winner of Season 12 (2022) of the programme.
 
Chandrakant has a sweet tooth and likes laddu, kheer and ice-cream. During summer he polishes off a good deal of ice-cream from the fridge in their shop, says Bharti with a laugh. A keen dresser, he is never without a watch and the local tailor customises his clothes.
 
Chandrakant dreams of doing more to support the family and himself. While the crafts he has learnt are useful, setting up his own manufacturing unit will need capabilities far beyond what he can manage now. His family is considering expanding their current business to include the merchandise his school produces so that it can be sold through the year instead of during seasonal sales at the school.


Photos:

Vicky Roy

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