By IANS,
Panaji : Triumphing against all odds, TV actor and writer Salil Chaturvedi, who is paralysed below the waist, led a four-member sailing expedition from Mumbai to Goa in a campaign for equal access for the disabled.
The Godrej Brighter Horizons expedition arrived here Wednesday on the eve of the World Disability Day. The expedition that covered a distance of some 240 nautical miles was flagged off from Mumbai on Nov 24 by Adi Godrej, the chairman of the Godrej Group.
Chaturvedi — who currently acts in, and writes scripts for the Indian version of “Sesame Street” “Galli Galli Sim Sim” — was accompanied by a crew of three that included his wife Monika Kshatriya, as also Umaji Chowgule and Shaunik Chaturvedi. They sailed in the Bombay Harbour Seabird, a 21-ft sloop. Designed in 1920 by Derrick Morgan Giles, an English naval architect, the boat had no modern amenities, apart from a motor, in case of emergencies.
Through the Godrej Brighter Horizons sailing expedition, Chaturvedi and his team intended calling attention to the potential of persons with disabilities and the power of collaborations.
“I wanted to demonstrate that magical things can happen with partnerships,” said Chaturvedi. “At the same time, I hope to draw attention to the dismal situation of access in India. A disabled person can still not go out and do the most basic of things independently, such as shop, board public transport, go to places of leisure and entertainment such as parks and cinema halls, or government offices,” Chaturvedi said.
“It’s really surprising that in a nation that is trying to become an economic powerhouse, more than 10 million of its disabled population find themselves largely under house arrest,” he added.
The expedition, Chaturvedi said, “was meant to showcase what can be achieved when people join hands and things are made accessible. It’s been 240 nautical miles for me, and India needs to travel many miles to empower its disabled citizens”.
Chaturvedi is not new to adventure, though he said that he has not undertaken anything as risky before. He has represented India at the Wheelchair Tennis Tournaments in Melbourne and Japan in the early 1990s.
Chaturvedi is is also a proficient writer, having won several awards for his short
stories and poetry, the latest being the Commonwealth Short Story award of the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association in 2008.
Despite all the planning, the crew knew they were at the mercy of the natural elements. The schedule was totally dependent on the winds and was, therefore, kept flexible. The expedition had to face several hours of lull (no breeze) but never motored once despite the heat and tough conditions.
In fact, the earlier estimated 15-hour legs stretched to 27 hours and were trying for everyone on board. But Chaturvedi said what kept them going at such times was Adi Godrej’s advice to him when he set sail. “Mr. Godrej’s words ‘Make sure you enjoy yourself’ kept ringing in my ears!” said Chaturvedi with a bright smile. “And I did just that.”
The sail was sponsored by the Godrej group. Through the “Godrej Brighter Horizons Expedition” the group urged Indian citizens, corporates and governments to provide support and equal opportunities to people with disabilities.