Keshav Chandra, who lives with cerebral palsy (permanent moving disorder) didn’t go into a shell usually cursing his fate but instead, he learnt to achieve great things in life. Chandra has secured 91.4% in his 12th exam.
“I am happy, really happy. It’s hard to express. I never expected this, but had prepared for putting everything I had on the line. I am glad my effort paid off. Now, I want to pursue Political Science (Hons) in DU and would opt law as a career. I wish one day I become the Chief Justice of India (CJI)” said Keshav.
Keshav scored good marks in the respective subjects- sociology (96), legal studies (100), political science (95), psychology (71) and English (95).
Having born in 2000, Keshav’s journey wasn’t that easy as it had full of struggles in the last 18 years.
Rukmani Prusty who is Keshav’s mother always supported and stood beside him through and through even in toughest times. “We realised that he is a special child when he was six months old. In initial years, the family wasn’t that supportive as most believed he doesn’t have any future. But, I was adamant that my child will study and make a mark for himself,” said an emotional mother who saw the struggles and success of her child in her own eyes.
Keshav found it difficult to eat as an infant. His elder sister, Soumya, a doctor, said that Keshav initially had ‘Gastroesophageal reflux disease’ (GERD) which makes it tough for him to eat food.
“My mother would beat him to make him cry and feed him so that he doesn’t vomit. We still feel shaken when we think of the time that we have been through. But, I would also give credit to my mother that she stood by him like anything. At times, I used to think, perhaps mother doesn’t love me, but now, I can understand the amount pain she endured and put her into to make Keshav what he is today,” said Soumya.
In a bid to make the movement of his body much quicker, Keshav has undergone surgeries multiple times but it helped him only to some extent. He went to Sanskriti School and then studied in the same in the school throughout.
“From 1st till 7th standard, he was in a section for special children and from eighth standard onwards, he studied in mainstream and eventually outperformed most,” added Keshav’s proud mother Rukmani.
Keshav aspires to become CJI one day and one of the reasons for having the big goal that he wants to do his contribution for the specially-abled people.
“The specially-abled people still have a long way to go and despite many things changing and life becoming relatively easier for them, a lot has to be done. I want to ensure that these people live their lives to the fullest, so that a the proverb-disability is just word, gets real,” said an ecstatic Keshav.