CTH Story of Kodakkal Shivaprasad
Cross the Hurdles brings you the inspiring story of Mr. Kodakkal Shivaprasad who has achieved success despite of all the odds that came in the way. Here are the excerpts from our talk with Shivaprasad.
About Kodakkal Shivaprasad
- Name: Kodakkal Shivaprasad
- Date of Birth: July 4, 1957
- City: Shimoga, Mangalore, Karnataka
- Educational Qualification: M.A., JAIIB (not completed)
- Marital Status: Married to wheel chair user lady.
- Employment Status: Officer Scale-I at Canara Bank
- Kind of Disability: Hearing Impairment since childhood
- Other Skills: Computer literacy
About Kodakkal Shivaprasad
Kodakkal Shivaprasad is employed in Canara Bank as an Officer. He is happily married, well settled and blessed with two children named KS Nagaprasad & K S Cauvery. In spite of his own challenges he is providing philanthropic services and working with Shimoga Dist. Physically Handicapped Welfare Sangha [Regd] as it General Secretary. Here he helps thousands more disabled people in solving their problems and helps them to live a meaningful life. He has been included in several international & national biographical notes published by prominent publishers around the world.He has been selected as a stake-holder at Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Govt. of India, New Delhi for amending the Disability Act. UNDP, an agency of United Nations, has also recently selected him for mdg.millionium Net Member. He actively takes parts in e-discussions and has written hundreds of articles about welfare of disabled.
Favorite movie(s)
Serials like DANGE EDDA MAKKALU i.e. CHILDRENS WHO MANAGE REVOLUTIONS.
Favorite books
Investigative novels like RANGA MAHAL RAHASYA in Kannada language.
Favorite food
Rice meal with curd & boiled chilly
Your biggest wish
This world changes back into the ancient times of RAMAYANA-MAHABHARATHA
Craziest thing that you have done in your life
Got married to wheel chair user lady and fulfilled her life with what a common woman expect in her life.
Most Valuable thing that you have purchased till now
GODDESS CAUVERY’S PHOTO.
Thing which you want to reverse in your life
Death of my father. I have lost my beloved father who helped me to come out in the world successfully without looking back.
Your biggest strength
I am able to fight against unnecessary devils around me and inside my mind.
If you take birth again, who would you like to be born as
Lord Rama
The thing(s) that I hate
The thing(s) that I hate is one who is like me hates me
The first thing you do right after awaking up in the morning
The first thing I do right after awaking up in the morning is to give prayer to GOD
The last thing you do before falling asleep at night
The last thing I do before falling asleep in the night is thanks giving to GOD
You prefer sons or daughters?
I prefer both. I hate gender bias.
Oft repeated word/sentence by you
Life is short lets make it sweet
If the world is going to be destroyed in 5 minutes, what would you do during this time
I would try to save the ideas of how to save human life and then finally get one with god.
Your new year resolution
Do what the society expects from me
The best gift that somebody can offer you
Peace and encouragement
Your bedroom take fire what would you rescue at first
At first I would try to get fire extinguisher to control fire, then rescue human life and valuable belongings
The country/town you would like to visit
I would like to visit the place that gives me inspiration or strength to lead a life.
If you can meet one person of your choice, dead or alive, known or not, who would this be
My beloved father whom I lost last year.
If you could change one thing your past, what would it be
I would like to bring back peace to human life
Interview of Venkatesh Yethiraj by CTH
Please tell us about the adjustment process and difficulties faced by you due to you disability. How did you manage to rehabilitate yourself physically and mentally?
When I was studying in school my bench mates were not co-operative in assisting me in copying down the lectures of my teachers. With great difficulty I used to collect home work notes and managed to understand each subjects by referring to relevant help books at times. I became independent and self confident and managed to faced the world bravely.
How do you manage your day to day activities? With somebody's help or you are able to cope up with routine activities yourself?
Due to hearing impairment I need some special equipments when am alone at office or home.I have installed brinkling light attached to the call bell in my own house. It helps me too know if someone calls me from outside the house or if someone wants my assistance.
How did you decide about your career advancement and how did you find your current job?
When I was completing my SSLC in a remote village,I managed my ancestral agricultural lands. I also wanted to study further. My parents were also not interested to keep me there in the village. Then I started looking for the jobs in the public sector under disability quotas.I had many contacts all across the globe, including United Nations Organizations in Vienna international and New York. Then one NGO extended its helping hand towards me. It helped me in getting my first job at M/s Bharath Electronics Ltd.,for its Bangalore Unit.Then I worked with Indian Institute of Management Bangalore and also at Canara Bank, Head Office Bangalore.
How do your kids and wife take your physical status?
My wife and two children, one son and one daughter, take me as a normal person. So do not feel about my disability when I am with them.
What is your idea of a perfect life?
No one can have a perfect life ! There are different kinds of people with different thoughts and diverse behaviors. So I can not find any clues for a perfect life in this bad world. Sorry, if I am bitter in my words, but all whatever I say are my "Experiments with Truth".
What improvements do you think still have to be made to make India a "Disabled Friendly Country?
As we know India ranks at number 68 in top bureaucratic list, then how can we expect India to a disability friendly country.
How do you manage your coming and going to the place of your work?
I like to drive different kinds of vehicles, hence manage to use two wheeler to attend my duties at Canara Bank.
It happens with all of us that we feel depressed with our situation and coping up becomes difficult. Whenever you confront such situations how do you manage?
If we get depressed then we should do mediation. There is no other better way than making yoga as a philosophy of our daily life. It can help us to come out of the depressing state.
What are your hobbies or leisure time activities?
My first hobby is to get satisfaction in jobs assigned to me.Then when I am free my I like to write articles on different topics like sociability awareness for disabled community. I have written hundred more articles for small and large news papers and have got them published.
How do you react when somebody pities you?
If some one pities me, then I realize that society still has kindness and courtesy, so that we should remember a sentence as : “KINDNESS IS A LANGUAGE WHICH DEAF CAN UNDERSTAND AND THE BLIND CAN SEE “
What message you would like to give to the persons suffering from some kind disabilities?
My message to fellow disabled people is that they should take independent decision and not tolerate unnecessary harassment. Disability is not a hindrance. We can be empowered and move forward in this world BE BRAVE – BE BOLD is our motto to achieve real goals.
Have you ever been discriminated because of your disability?
Discrimination is a common phenomena with disables even at home or work place. People yet to be understand the ability of a particular person. This can only be done with the help of government's involvement.Being a hearing impaired person I face lot of challenges and questions in my work place that how I manage to hear telephonic conversations or how handle large number of customers when they are in hurry. But now a days electronic devices help us a lot.Hence a slogan is best to use there that : “there is a will if we have the skill”.
What do you think about Cross The Hurdles?
I hope that Cross Hurdles gets success in empowering persons with disability in some way. In my opinion attitude of Cross Hurdles really inspiring and encouraging to lead a powerful life in society.
