Sanchita

Look at my mother, she is fair while I am so dark - was Sanchita’s approach in introducing me to her Mother. Obviously I was taken aback when the only reason, which engrossed my attention to Sanchita, was the beauty of her calm and active dedication to the in-group supervision of the Specials Olympics preliminary held at the Army Stadium.

Photographing around we notice so many dismal scenario and as expected we take pictures and publish them in the hope that something shall be done for the others, the beggars, and some made to beg - then this mentally disabled woman content to beg.

An image (here my deliberate attempt to show the mentally disable children in another perspective) or a photo story of disabled people does evoke sympathy, a reaction. People are concerned and so should be the government. Nothing or little has been done because of constraint over fund, time and such.  But somehow I felt that a radical approach to my photo story might induce a reason. In my opinion any reason for whatever reason to do anything for, could be the motivation, the inspiration.

Then there is Sanchita. She works persistently for the mentally disabled.  I set on to tell her story but not much as what she has achieved but why she is doing what she does. The disclosure could portray the rationale we all necessitate to confer our role. We need so many.

Sanchita worked and resigned from government service. She writes and published several books. She is an only child and have an only child – daughter. She works for the mentally disabled. She was a coach for the Athletics/Track & Field for the mentally disabled.  Eunice Shiver, sister of John F Kennedy the founder of the Special Olympics, an athletic competition aimed at those with intellectual disabilities inspired her. To quote Sanchita “I had always wished to learn. Sometimes I had questions I never asked, but I have always tried to seek answers”.

Sanchita believes blind people are the most vulnerable of the disabled but they are aware of their predicament but the mentally disabled never realize the impasse. They will never out grow their current situation. The Bangladesh team has so far won 37 gold, 22 silver and 19 bronze medals from the last three World Games.

Once I asked her mother how do you access your daughter’s achievement?  “ Oh - she was into everything, sports, theatre, singing, dancing, debate etc ”, prompt came the reply.  With a faraway look she reflects, that whatever Sanchita wants to do, she does.

The husband gentle but firm commends on her organizational skill. When Sanchita drag him to her house of her mother’s dream in a remote corner of Dhaka, he was both apprehensive and reluctant. “ But now in all probability nothing cannot drag me back to the commotion of Dhaka city ”, he asserts. I have distinguished the beauty of living here my wife had envisage. 

Ridi the daughter, loves animal, is definite she would have been much happier living in an apartment in Dhaka. She was also not content with her mother’s hectic schedule.  At times when I needed her I sensed that she was not nearby, but now I probably understand and recognize her position.

Her idols … Sanchita had had lots of reasons for her dedication to her Job at hand. To quote her “ If you want to make life meaningful, you have to work for others and yourself. I have always worked for my family – but now I want to work for others “.

It had been an honor to have sat and taken a meal with her in her daughter’s room. The proximity was extraordinary and to give significance to it I decided to share it. What I had not been able to share was some of the emotional scar that drove her will power beside her complexity over her understanding as to the true meaning of Beauty. As far I am concerned many of us go through our lives with our own scars but only few of us achieve to overcome them and derive a positive meaning of our lives. Beauty probably lies in there and even behind a dark facade.