Jhamak’s story is one of triumph. When she was born 30 years ago, the stakes were completely against her. Nepali society continues to see women as inferior to men and the fact that she was born physically challenged three decades earlier in a society where this discrimination was much more acute helps those interested in her story to understand the enormity of her achievements. Jhamak was not disabled by her disability and that is what those who never cease to complain about ‘unfavorable circumstances’ need to learn from her. The handicaps that we complain about cannot get worse than what Jhamak had to endure each day of her life. Her story is truly one of courage, determination and an unflinching will to succeed.
But, again, perhaps her success was possible because of her disability. Growing up as a girl without any handicaps in a village of Nepal would have been a completely different experience for her. She would have been forced to tend to all the chores expected of a girl from cooking to cleaning to working in the fields leaving her with very little room to learn to read and write and hone her literary skills. In all likelihood, she would have been married very young and the responsibilities, and sometimes even burden, of being a wife, a daughter-in-law and a mother would have probably left her with no time to create pieces that today delight and touch the hearts of thousands.
Jhamak’s story brings to light a crucial issue to the fore—the immense difficulties and hardships that physically-challenged people have to face in Nepal. We still have a long way to go to enable people with disabilities to lead a dignified life. The majority of people suffering from any form of mental and physical handicap need a lot of external support to succeed. Exceptions like Jhamak are far and between. That is the reason why we should draw motivation from Jhamak’s success and celebrate it.
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