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“We should realise that God chose to give disabled kids to those He knew would be the best caregivers”

When Selmath Pandarapura (36) was in sixth standard she used to feel dejected because she couldn’t join her classmates during the PT (Physical Training) period. Since she was polio-affected her legs lacked strength. Even her juniors would mock her gait, which made her cry. But then in eighth standard she discovered she could play throwball well and her service game was excellent. She went on to captain the school team! “It helped me overcome negative thoughts about my disability,” she recalls. She not only led her team in inter-school competitions but after leaving school she also played in her neighbourhood throwball team, fighting against teams from other localities.
 
Selmath is the sixth child of Aboobacker M and Mariyumma Pandarapura from Agatti Island in Lakshadweep. Her late father owned a boat and fishing was his occupation. Selmath was eight months old when Mariyumma took her to a hospital on Kavaratti Island, which being the capital had better medical facilities than Agatti. The infant was diagnosed with polio. Aboobacker, who wanted a second opinion, contacted a well-known visiting doctor from Kerala and brought him home to examine the child. This doctor confirmed the diagnosis and suggested that as she grew older she start using a walker and later start cycling to improve the condition of her legs.
 
Selmath once fell from her cycle and sustained such grave injuries that she had to be evacuated to Kerala for surgery. Mariyumma was so distressed that she tried to make her daughter promise never to touch a cycle again. However, the doctor warned her: “If you don’t allow her to cycle she will never be able to walk.” So, after recovering from surgery, Selmath started cycling once again. Despite Aboobacker’s financial struggles he made sure to buy her age-appropriate bicycles. “By the time I finished school I had used five bicycles,” says Selmath who rides a two-wheeler today.
 
She recollected an instance when Aboobacker challenged her to a throwball competition in which some of his relatives would take part. It was the final match of a series and the opponents were far senior to Selmath’s team. When her team won the match, no one was happier than Aboobacker himself! Selmath realised it was her father’s way of motivating her.
 
Disabled persons thrive when they receive support. Support from teachers played a crucial role in her education. One who holds a special place in her heart is Rama Devi, a native of Kerala, who taught Chemistry when she was in higher secondary.
 
Selmath also has happy memories of her schooldays. She started singing Malayalam film songs and the traditional Mappila Paattu in seventh standard and received much appreciation for her rendition of ‘Veshangal Janmangal’ from the movie ‘Vesham’. In ninth standard she went on a school trip. By visiting new places and having novel experiences she came out of her comfort zone. It was her first time travelling by bus, sharing a dormitory and using the upper bunk, using a public toilet and so on. She had a delightful time with her friends at the Athirapally waterfall.
 
Although she wanted to continue her studies after 10th standard on Kadmat Island, her parents were worried whether she could cope. On Agatti, only the science group was available. Selmath found it difficult to catch up because the medium of instruction was English, and she completed the course with some difficulty.
 
Another factor that affected her studies was Aboobacker’s ill health. He suffered from cardiac and respiratory issues and was in the ICU in Kochi for a few days. His treatment was financed by the generous people of all the islands of Lakshadweep. When he returned home he could not independently carry out his daily needs and Selmath and her siblings took care of him. Aboobacker died in 2009.
 
Selmath plunged into social work, giving her time and effort to assist people in need. She is joint secretary of the Lakshadweep Differently-abled Welfare Association (LDWA), board member of Jan Shikshan Sansthan, and vice chairperson of the women’s self-help group Dweepsree. For 89 days in a year she works as Clerical Assistant in the Village Dweep Panchayat, Agatti. This is a post reserved for persons with disabilities (PwDs) in all the panchayats of Lakshadweep and was created thanks to the LDWA. Eligible PwDs occupy this post on a rotational basis. Four PwDs on Agatti are eligible, and so Selmath is employed for around three months every year.
 
Selmath says parents should not be over-protective of their disabled children. “Let the kid fall down, it’s okay, that’s how they learn and grow,” she says. She believes that God chose to give children with disabilities to those parents whom He knows would take good care of them. And finally, “Every girl must be boldly independent and it’s her family’s responsibility to empower her.”