Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) survivors spread awareness through a unique cultural approach. By Mansi Bhansali
The Talkatora indoor stadium reverberated with loud cheers for the indomitable spirit of Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) survivors. While some used their wheelchairs to move around the stage in rhythmic circles, others kept the audience spellbound with their kathak mudras, saying it with their rapid finger movements. Yet others, using crutches, elegantly climbed up their fellow performers’ wheelchairs, forming exquisite poses. Every single performance stood up to the central theme, Yes we can, at the event, Dance on wheelchairs, organised by the Indian Spinal Injuries Centre (ISIC).
In the Krishna leela act, Chetan Upadhaya, who played Krishna, used his crutches to swirl around and fight with the demon who sat in his wheel chair. The ultimate defeat was depicted by the demon falling off his wheelchair. They were complemented by some female performers from the Aamad Kathak Dance Centre.
Rani Khanam reminded us why the students could perfect their skills with such efficacy. They began with Om Shanti where they showcased yogic postures. This was followed by performances choreographed around Hosla, Hawan Karenge, which attracted loud hooting from the audience.
“It’s an honour for me to perform on stage. Often people think that physical disability leads to paralysis but through this performance I want to change this notion. I wish to dedicate myself to the art of dance, unbound by any genre apart from my daily job,” shared Chetan Upadhaya, one of the performers.
Another artist, Mohammed Adil Khan found it extremely difficult to learn the steps but didn’t give up. “Though it was hard, we kept on going. We would practise daily for about three to four hours.”
Olympian Sakshi Malik graced the event and was awarded for her incredible journey as a sportsperson. After seeing the performances, Malik found herself deeply inspired by how the wheelchair-bound had fought against all odds to retain and nurture their undying love for life. While the show ended with an energetic dance on Tarana - Dim Ta Deredani –Takshak followed by a standing ovation, the strength the artists exhibited definitely left everyone in awe, along with something to take home with.
“In 1999 when I got hit by paralysis, I started to live a new life altogether. But in 2005, I learnt how to get complete rehabilitation from ISIC. During those six years I was just a patient sitting on my wheelchair, however, I started evolving not only as a person but also as a swimmer, biker and then a Paralympic,” shared Deepa Malik, Silver Medalist, Rio Paralympics 2016.
“It is always divine to see them performing as the professional artists. Not only does it give me pleasure but witnessing their zeal and determination leaves me speechless every single time,” said Rani Khanam, founder of Aamad dance centre.
Apart from the element of entertainment in any dance performance Khanam stressed on the fact that dance can be used as a tool to convey humanitarian values along with looking at its healing power.
Talking about the performers’ practice routine, she shared, “They have limited energy and their muscles are not that strong to practise for long hours. So I always keep the aspect of their ability enhancement in mind during training.”
Can you imagine yourself without your limbsIJ No. But the people suffering from Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) grow out of it, where they have to spend their entire life sitting on the wheelchair. Since it impacts personal, bio-psychological and socio-economic aspects of one’s life, an adequate treatment and rehabilitation is required. The male to female ratio varies from 1.6:1 to 13.5:1 in different studies.
“For the second consecutive year, ISIC is happy to become a medium through which the spinal cord injury survivors could showcase their talents and indomitable spirit for life. It also gives us opportunity to spread awareness amongst people and encourage a positive and supporting environment for persons with disabilities. We are happy with the kind of response this event has garnered and will continue to make people aware about prevention of spinal injuries and curative options available that can help a survivor lead a near-normal life”, said Major HPS Ahluwalia, Chairman, ISIC.