Bhubaneswar: There is a general misconception among public that blindness is a curse. But Odisha’s first blind parasailor Bapina Nayak has changed this notion. For him, blindness is not a curse, but merely a physical disability. Blind children are equally competent as normal children. He strongly believes that a blind person can do much more than what society envisages for him.
Despite being born blind Bapina dared to parasail as high as 300 feet from sea level at the eco retreat in Konark. He is the first complete blind from Odisha who parasailed at that height and drew a mark in record book. His achievement has become source of inspiration for other visually-impaired persons. In a candid conversation with Ommcom News, Bapina talks about his journey of becoming the first blind parasailor of Odisha and his dreams.
Hailing from Bhikaripada village in Nayagarh district, Bapina’s success story is very heartrending one.
Recalling his childhood, Bapina said “Blind are always treated as a burden on their family and society. People make fun of them. I too faced same situation. Whenever I expressed my desire of riding a scooter or car, my friends laughed at me. Whenever I expressed my desire to climb hills, they felt pity for me. Even my neighbours felt bad after seeing my face in the morning. Being a nature’s I always wanted to climb hills and go for trekking. I never wanted confine myself to the four walls of a room. I never stopped believing that I am meant to achieve great things and no disability is going to stop me from doing things that makes me smile.”
And he made his dream come true thanks to his strong determination. Besides, being a parasailor, he is the captain of Odisha Blind Football team. He has been playing for Odisha since 2018. Also, he has the credit of climbing Kandalei hill of height 1100-ft.
Son of farmer Prafulla Nayak and homemaker Chanchala Nayak, Bapina faced hardship to complete his schooling. With the help some Samaritans, he managed to complete his graduation from Sambalpur Open University. He has also passed diploma in elementary education with flying colours. He is currently looking for a job so that he can look after his parents and his siblings. Without any exaggeration, it can be said that Bapina fought against all odds to make his identity in this dog-eat-dog world.
Attributing his success of becoming the first blind parasailor to social worker Sushant Sahoo and his football coach Trilochan Beura, Bapina said “When people around made fun of me, it was Sushant sir and Trilochan sir who encouraged me to go ahead. When I expressed my wish to go for parasailing, they gave thumbs up and helped me achieve my dream. It was just a beginning of a long journey because I have miles to go before I sleep.”
Bapina, however, feels bad as there are not enough opportunities for blind children to showcase their talents. “The Odisha government is revamping Barabati Stadium and Kalinga Staduim. But it has never thought about us. We are also blessed with talents. Lack of sight is not a curse, it is the enormous capacity within us which can help us to achieve big goals. Despite being a football player and parasailor, I am leading a painful life. I would be grateful if the state government comes forward to support me in my journey. Even though the blind are trying to overcome their disability and not let it hinder them, there’s a lot more that the government can do for them”, signed off Bapina.
By Rashmi Rekha Das
