Feature

A Different Perspective

Tohfatul Zannat Ipsha

TICK… tock… tick …tock…it's late at night and I was switching my fingers from keyboard

to pen but could not decide what to write or where to start from. Am I about to portray the event I observed or my personal experience? Perplexed what I should precisely focus on, I grabbed my pen and got started.

It was February 16, the Rotary Club of Dhaka North East and Baptist Mission Integrated School together organized a historical event at Press Club, Dhaka. It was the publication ceremony of a book named Alo-Ondhokare jai written by Anisul Haque and the chief guest was prof Md. Zafar Iqbal.

I mentioned it as a historical event, but it seems just an ordinary publication of a book if I don't mention the edition format as it was the Braille edition of the book. Probably, this is for the very first time a book like this is being published in Bangladesh. The book is based on a true story of a visually challenged person, Abul Hashem Azad. The book tells us about his success in spite of all the obstacles. No doubt this story will inspire people who are struggling like Azad. He has set an example for all of them and for others too that if you have strong will power you can overcome any situation.

Overall the event had an tremendous impact on my , as it was held for some special people. Yeah I'll say those special cause according to prof. Zafar Iqbal, they are not like us but they are more accomplished then us as they can do the equal task without being physically equivalent so they should be regarded as special persons. The whole event had removed a drape from my mind with the wonderful thoughts of those special people. When little Mitu swiftly read out some parts of the book with her finger tip I realized that she has a clearer sight than any of us, when ex student Shirin shared her thoughts about the book, I felt how deep her thoughts are, when she explained the discriminations she and other persons like her has to go through I realized how mean it is and the hero of the story, Azad showed how enlightened he is from inside with his brilliant speech. They all prove the reality of how special they are. It's us who lack some acquaintance and differentiate them through some stupid acts.

As I have previously mentioned, the beginning seemed confusing to me, while I was writing it up. The title made very little sense to me. By “A Different Perspective” am I trying to indicate their view point that are visually challenged or It's our point of view who thinks we are superior and just feel pitiful for them. Or it has an alternative meaning? Well friends I've got my answer for both of my confusions. I wanted to share the realization that lacks in most of us. We try to ignore the fact, by underestimating them or feeling sorry form them ,that they r a part of us. They don't want to be treated like that, what they want is to be judged equally like us. So I guess I'll say it's the perspective that we require to have in us and look at it differently.