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Their lives spell hope
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"Hope Is Life' chronicles the lives of 30 differently-abled achievers
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ALTHOUGH REPLETE with editing errors and poorly laid out, `Hope Is Life' is a great book. The circumstances under which it was brought out and the lives it describes, outshine its shortcomings.
In the 1980s, the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka uprooted the author of the book, S. Shanmugam from the island nation. For a while, he endlessly shifted places. Then employment as a photographer in Arumbu, a Tamil magazine for children, put an end to his peripatetic existence and he found stability and a home in Chennai.
His assignments introduced him to various realities, one of which left an indelible mark — the world of the disabled. So intrigued was he of these children, men and women who fought great odds and won that he requested his editor that he be allowed to use the pen as well as the camera to put them under the spotlight. A string of profiles on differently-abled achievers followed. This, however, did not satisfy Shanmugam. He wanted to do more.
Befitting tribute
What better tribute to the differently-abled and what better way of bringing them to the limelight than profiling them together between the covers of a book. No sooner did this idea strike him than he set about turning it into a reality, even if it meant travelling a lot and spending from his own pocket.
The fruit of this labour was not just one book, but three. He called the three-volume collection, "Sikarathai Thedi" (In Search Of The Pinnacle). Friends and readers managed to convince Shanmugam that the people profiled in the book were exemplary and what their lives had to convey should be made available for others as well, not just the Tamil readership.
Shanmugam agreed; but his lack of proficiency in English held him back. An offer to translate the books into English by Prof. (retd.) V. Balambal, who had worked at the University of Madras, made the English translation, `Hope Is Life', possible.
Through its 160 pages, about 30 super achievers challenge us to reach for the stars. You may contact the author at 24860221.
PRINCE FREDERICK
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