Vegetable Sellers Daughter Who Lost Her Legs, Fought Her Fate & The System To Become A Doctor
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Image Source: Malegaon Club

“Where there is a will, there is a way. If there is a chance in a million that you can do something, anything, to keep what you want from ending, do it. Pry the door open or, if need be, wedge your foot in the door and keep it open.” – Pauline Kael

Such is the attitude of a Mumbai girl who lost both her legs in a train accident and overcame all odds to fulfil her aspiration to become a doctor. When life takes harshest twists and turns, most of the individuals feel like giving up. They can’t handle these challenges and quitting becomes the easiest way-out for them. But in the course of events, by making compromises when it comes to one’s dreams and passion, what one loses is – “One’s belief in self”. Self-worth comes to an end and the person chokes down.

But Jogeshwari resident Raushan Jawwad has an inspirational story with a happy ending. After all the misfortunes she has had in her life, she never ever thought of giving up. A very sincere and bright student Raushan who scored 92.15% in her Class X exams, lost both her legs after being pushed out of a local train near Andheri on October 16, 2008. She was returning home after writing her college exams at Bandra’s Anjuman-i-Islam Girl’s college. When she neared the door at Andheri station, she could not control her balance when the other women commuters started jostling. She fell onto the tracks and her legs came under the moving train. Hearing Raushan’s screams, some commuters pulled the chain and the train was stopped. In the accident, she had her lower limbs severed at the ankle and the thigh.

She was taken to Milat Nursing Home after the accident. She was going through excruciating pain for hours. Later when she recovered, she was aware of the fact that she has to fight a long battle financially as well as legally for education. There is a rule under which people with disabilities between 40-70% can be admitted to MBBS course. Raushan was denied admission as she had 88% disability. Dr Sanjay Kantharia who operated on her suggested she move court. Senior lawyer V P Patil took up her case for free. After she made several rounds of court, Chief Justice Mohit Shah raised a question which the college failed to answer “When she can come all the way to court, why do you think she won’t be able to come to the class?” Finally, the judgement went in favour of Raushan and she got admission in KEM Hospital and College. MLA Ameen Patel financed her entire education.

This calls for a deeper insight into the pain and boldness. How both of these are related to each other. How one’s pain can lead him/ her to fight more vivaciously. Dylan Thomas in one of his poems states:

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

The blow by fate couldn’t impede her rage to become what she always aspired to. She fought against all the obstacles in her way and never let her dream wane anyways. After eight years of having lost her both legs, Raushan secured a first class in her final MBBS examination and is now mentally prepared for a PG course. Her father, Jawwad Sheikh, a vegetable seller in Jogeshwari and her mother, Ansaari Khatoon, both are very proud of her. Her sincerity and strong determination helped her achieve her goals in life. Country’s obdurate bureaucracy and physical disabilities never hampered Raushan’s will power in life. She kept moving on courageously till she achieved her goal.

-Yashna Sharma

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Editor : The Logical Indian

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