by Rajaram Sukumar
I
t was a sizzling hot day when
Careers360 caught up with
Muhammed Aasim on the lawns of
a roundabout, just opposite the Parlia-
ment House in the heart of Delhi. Sit-
ting with both his legs tucked under him
on the grassy floor, Aasim looked up and
shyly said, “Namaste.” The 13-year-old,
born without arms and unable to walk,
had travelled all the way from Veli-
manna in Kerala’s Kozhikode district
to plead his case with the National
Commission for Protection of Child
Rights (NCPCR), the Office of the
Commissioner for Persons with Dis-
abilities and National Human Rights
Commission (NHRC). It’s his indom-
itable spirit to study that made him
travel over 3,000 kilometres to press
his demand for upgrading Velimanna
Government Mappila Upper Primary
School (VGMUPS) to a high school.
Earlier, raising the slogan, ‘I too want to
study’, he had travelled 370 kilometres“I too want to study,” says this 90 percent physically challenged boy who braved
the summer heat all the way from Kerala to Delhi for the cause of upgrading a
school...
in his wheelchair from Velimanna to
the state capital Thiruvananthapuram
in a 55-day journey and sat in protest
in front of the old secretariat to high-
light his plight. “Aasim had received
immense support of the people and
various organisations during the jour-
ney, but nothing from the government’s
side,” his father said.Aasim’s story
Aasim is the eldest son of Muham-
mad Shaheed, a madrassa teacher, andNO ARMS TO SHIELD,
BUT WITH A HEART
TO FIGHT
Human Interest AGAINST ALL ODDS
Pradeep Krishnan GR