Guru Syed Pasha leads an exceptionally talented dancing troupe of persons with disability at Ability Unlimited Foundation. K Raghav Sharma relates the overwhelming experience
Ten years back Vijay Kumar was a troubled parent. A resident of Jhilmil colony in Delhi, he was anxious about the future of his child Gulshan Kumar. With his crippled legs, Gulshan struggled to walk. But fate took him to Guru Syed Salauddin Pasha and the course of his life was changed forever. He asked Gulshan to join his Ability Unlimited Foundation (AUF), which works for the empowerment of talented children with disability. Gulshan's father Vijay was not convinced at first, but an offer of Rs 500 as scholarship and the dream of a prosperous future made him agree. Today, ten years since that rendezvous, Gulshan is no more thwarted by his handicap. He is currently pursuing his 12th standard education and is also earning a decent income as an artist.
Guru Syed Salauddin Pasha has thus brought hope and happiness to hundreds of differently-abled children with his unique and unparalleled concept called 'Dance on Wheels and Crutches'. For the last 25 years, many like Gulshan have secured a self-reliant and dignified life for themselves at the Delhi-based AUF. Guruji's flat in Patparganj is fully dedicated to the physically and mentally challenged, despite space constraints.
Wheels are a major part of the 'Bharatanatyam's on Wheels' show that is the result of five years of hard work put in by these children. An unprecedented piece of work in the history of natya, it is specially choreographed for the disabled. Combining the elements of Bharatanatyam, martial arts, Sufi dance, Bhagavad Geeta, yoga and many other arts, it is a sheer treat to watch.
Pasha works with artists whose conditions range from polio, dyslexia, cerebral palsy, autism and other mental, visual and hearing difficulties. On can easily imagine it to be tremendously taxing on one's stamina and patience.
In his journey, Pasha has known challenges that an ordinary mortal would have found difficult to withstand. 'As a guru of the disabled, you should not lose patience. These pains are part of the process and I need to face it anyway. To be frank, I have learnt the significance of patience and peace from these people only,' Pasha said.
Guruji Pasha was fond of dance and other arts since his childhood. 'Being a Muslim, it was not easy for me to practice Ramayana, Bhagavad Geeta, etc.' he recalls. 'In my childhood I had to face threats and beatings from my community because I was studying these art forms which were essentially Hindu. Around that time, one guru refused to teach me on the same grounds ' me being a Muslim. At Navasandhi Nritya too, they said, 'we can't teach nritya to a Muslim; it is purely meant for Brahmin people.'' Pasha hails from Anekallu, a village near Bangalore, and is now a professionally trained actor, Bharatanatyam and Kathak dancer, a graduate in choreography and inventor of Therapeutic Theatre for persons with disabilities. He has worked as an International Scholar at Cornell University, and special pedagogic dance theatre director at many schools in Finland and at Sutra Dance Theatre ' Malaysia, USA and UK. He is also a National Award winner. 'For the past 10 years, I have been working in Delhi with differently-abled children and at present over 150 children avail of dance therapy in our Foundation. Though most girls here are deaf and dumb, you don't see a shadow of sadness on their faces. The feeling of loneliness or alienation has vanished,' Pasha said proudly.
Nishisth is a proud member of AUF. He has visited foreign countries and performed in many AUF productions including Natya on Wheels. 'I feel proud to be the member of this foundation. Guruji has taught us what life is and how to face it. I have learnt Bharatanatyam and various kinds of dances from Guruji. He is everything for us,' he says. Ashiq Ali, Kumar Manish, Harbir, Sonu Gupta, Ishrath, Priya Sharma, Karuna, Alka, Ajay Kumar are some other students presently learning and performing dance here. They were part of the show recently held in Noida, UP.
The foundation receives a number of e-mails and letters from parents of differently-abled children from various parts of India to treat their children and engage them with the foundation. With limited space, however, it's been a tough task for Pasha. 'Sometimes children directly come here and join us. Sometimes we do workshops, events and visit slums where we find variety of differently-abled children with multi-talents. So, we have given them a platform to prove themselves. People in Jhilmil Colony celebrate when they see Gulshan Kumar's performance on the television. After performing in America and UK, his confidence level is now sky high. At the end of the day, we see satisfaction in these children, which is important', says Pasha.
Guruji Pasha has urged the government several times to use 3 per cent reservation for disabled consistently. The 1995 Disability Act says that there should be equal opportunity for every disabled person, but sheer negligent attitude of the government compelled the foundation to hire legal help to allow them to draw attention to the apathy demonstrated by various government departments. 'I have written many letters to Cultural Department and even to the Sangeet Natak Academy, but never received a reply from them. It shows that they are unaware and not bothered about these children.' Even after passing the Disability Act, there is little done. Pasha acknowledges that the journey in the last 30 years hasn't been easy and, he says, the journey in the future is not going to be easy either. In any case, to this group of determined people, it is not a concern.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).
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