Silent pain of specially-abled

The world hardly knows what happens to special children, because they can seldom express their trauma

A recent CCTV footage exposed the torture of a child at a playschool in Kochi, thanks to the conflict between the proprietor and her employee. But not every child, savaged by caregivers, is fortunate. The world seldom gets to know what happens to special children, the most vulnerable and exploited lot because they can seldom express their trauma. 

There was uproar over the news of a 16-year-old special child being assaulted with a cane by a male warden and beaten black and blue blindfolded by the headmistress of a Kochi-based residential school for special kids. Parents of special children, under the banner of ‘Togetherwecan’, a Facebook group, has been campaigning against the illegal and inhumane practices at numerous private therapy centres – of which there is no record – which offer speech and language, behavioural and occupational therapies and special education classes. 

The parent advocacy group filed a public interest litigation at Kerala High Court on May 2 demanding among others standardisation of therapy for neurological disorders by introducing a syllabus, formation of a regulatory authority to check malpractices and transparency by letting the parent in the therapy room. A viral Facebook 10-minute video posted by Ms Padma Pillai, entrepreneur and the mother of a 12-year-old autistic boy, sheds light on the motive of the parent advocacy group which wants to protect rights of the children who are unable to express themselves. 

“All parents who have taken their children for therapy have had bad experiences at therapy centres. Children are being verbally and physically assaulted behind closed doors. Parents are not let in, claiming that children would not cooperate. As long as children can’t communicate what transpires in the room during sessions that last around an hour, no action can be taken. Though the district collector suggested installing CCTVs in rooms, many were not willing. We also talked to special educators and found that the claim about children being non-cooperative is sham. We won’t, any more, let rights of their children be violated,” says Ms Pillai. 

There have been many instances of special children being tortured by inexperienced therapists. In 2015, Ms Preetha Anup’s six-year-old autistic son suffered a fracture at a therapy centre in Kochi. The mother waited outside the room during occupational therapy sessions, little realizing that her child was crying. Only when his arm was fractured did parents realised the torture he was subjected to. “My child had to be operated as his arm was broken. The most shocking response was from the head of the centre, an occupational therapist, who claimed that the child had lesser bone density. We did tests and confirmed that there was nothing wrong with his bones. It never occurred to us that the child was being tortured when he appeared exhausted after each session and kept crying. We were told that it was normal; we didn’t realise we were being cheated,” Ms Anup says. 

More shocking was when they learnt that it was a physiotherapist, who handled the occupational therapy session that went awry. However, they didn’t sue the centre because by the time they gathered the strength to speak up, it was late and there were no chances of presenting evidence. Togetherwecan, in 2015, brought the issues to the attention of the Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, which checked the centres, reviewed the complaints and listed out recommendations, including laying down best practices, setting up district-level panels of experts and parents, setting guidelines for therapy centres and bringing all those under a regulatory body. However, the recommendations took two years to get printed as an official order, which is yet to be implemented.

‘Parents are often ignorant, scared’ Many parents, most of them on condition of anonymity, share their bitter experiences and unending shuttling between therapy centres unsure of the best chance for their child to become less dependent on others. “Many are unaware of the proper therapy practices and therapists don’t brief them properly. The helplessness and ignorance of parents are being exploited to the core. They don’t protest fearing rejection and isolation at the centres, faced by many who dared to. Also, there are no ways to know if they are approaching a bogus centre. There is absolutely no monitoring,” says Seema Lal, psychologist and petitioner, who filed the PIL.

 Ms Lal had to bear the brunt for participating in the parent advocacy programme against malpractices and filing the PIL by facing a smear campaign on social media for ‘defaming’ occupational therapists. “These are genuine demands. We don’t want to tarnish any particular centre. There should be a government alternative to private therapy centres,” she adds.

 Health and Social Welfare Minister K.K. Shylaja said strict action would be taken against perpetrators and that only the service-minded should step into the field. However, Seema has a different opinion, “They need not be service-oriented. They can make money, but they should do their job properly. Do the therapy correctly and guide the parents along the right path. Focus on home-based programmes by involving parents and equipping them to handle their kids instead of misguiding them stating that only therapists can help the children. Parent empowerment is the need of the hour. Instead of begging for mercy and attention, they need to realise that therapy and education is the right of their child,” she says. 

‘Transparency is need of the hour’ Mr Joseph Sunny, occupational therapist and director of Kochi-based therapy institute, Prayatna, says transparency at sessions is a must. “Despite our state leading in health sector, early intervention therapy is not given due importance. The only government centre that offers paediatric occupational therapy in the state is Child Care Centre at Thiruvanan-thapuram Medical College; the rest are private institutes. “We need taluk and district-level centres. Many can’t afford private therapy. At our centre, we offer up to 50 per cent concession for the deserving, but that’s the maximum. We too need to pay our professionals.” 

Mr Sunny, also the president of the State branch of All India Occupational Therapists Association, feels it is high time the state government constituted a council to regulate therapy professionals. “Priority should be given to the panel for therapists than centres. Qualified practitioners lack a regulatory body in the state. Outside Kerala, if any malpractice is brought to notice, strict action like derecognition takes place. Our association is doing its bit by collecting details of occupational therapists working in Kerala. 

“Sadly, owing to malpractices of a few, everyone gets branded. There are hundreds of dedicated therapists, but due to isolated cases, everyone’s reputation is tarnished,” he rues. 

 Published in Deccan Chronicle on July 9, 2017

Aluva's latest shining star

Dheeraj Denny, the latest member of a tribe of talented actors from Aluva, talks about his upcoming films.

It seems Aluva has replaced Thiruvananthapuram as the seedbed of M-town’s best. This little town has gifted the industry a huge breed of talents ranging from the Kalabhavan-groomed Dileep, N.F. Varghese and Zainudeen, to latest league of Nivin Pauly, Alphonse Puthren, Siju Wilson, Shabareesh Varma, and Sharafuddeen. The Aluva gang is getting a new entrant called Dheeraj Denny, who is making his debut with not one, but two movies - Sunil Ibrahim’s Y and Abhiram Suresh Unnithan’s Himalayathile Kashmalan. 

Interestingly, both movies are not hero-centric; the lead roles are played by a bunch of newcomers. "But I am fortunate enough to have bagged two diametrically opposite characters," begins Dheeraj, with his dimpled smile. In the suspense thriller Y, he portrays a city guy Arun, who works in an MNC, whereas Himalayathile Kashmalan will see him in the role of a simpleton politician sporting white khadi.

Though a debutant, his face appears very familiar. When asked about it, Dheeraj flashes his dimples again saying, “I have been into modelling since college days and was the face of several brands.” From a theatre-smitten schoolboy, he became a ramp model, which was his only option to stay in the limelight as his college had no space for plays. He walked the ramp for various fashion events and became active in modelling. When a job offer came, he took it up and left for Bengaluru, leaving his heart behind, yearning to be back in the spotlight. 

Soon, he got a call from his friend Vishnu Pradeep who asked Dheeraj to act in his debut short film Engane Thudangum. Dheeraj didn’t think twice and when it came out, appreciations poured in, boosting his confidence. Three-and-a-half years passed with Dheeraj shuttling between his job and passion. Finally, he took a call and chose to stay with acting. He went on to star in short films like Oru Cinemamohi. It was then he came across the casting call for Y and sent his entry. He was called for the audition and later to the acting camp. 

Dheeraj says, “The movie is about three incidents happening over two hours in real time. It’s a gripping, fast-paced narration. The shoot was a great learning platform. I was surprised with director Sunil’s eye for detail; nothing missed his sight, despite the movie having no script.” No script? “You wouldn’t believe. We were just told about the situation and reacted accordingly,” he says, adding that being newbies, the shoot was total fun. The only senior actor in Y was Alencier Ley, who played a cop. “During our combination scenes, his grace was so contagious that you automatically react to his performance. You can’t make a wrong move. That is the perk of working with a senior artiste,” he says. 

Himalayathile Kashmalan — Dheeraj’s next — is directed by his Y co-star Abhiram. Most of the cast were a part of Y. In a role totally different from that of Arun, Dheeraj plays a Youth Congress member in a village. “I observed a lot of politicians and learned the Thiruvananthapuram slang. It’s a slapstick comedy about how a group of fools make a mountain out of a molehill. As the tagline says, it is the story of a bunch of idiots,” he says with a laugh. 

As the movies gear up for release, Dheeraj is in talks for a couple of projects. Hopeful about his upcoming movies, Dheeraj shares, “For both my movies, the whole shooting happened at night. Literally, I am yet to see daylight!”

 Published in Deccan Chronicle on July 9, 2017 

An uneasy journey

Take Off actress Divyaprabha minces no words while sharing an uncomfortable experience she had recently.

These are times when women feel unsafe everywhere, be it their homes, workplaces, streets, markets or even in vehicles. When Kerala Excise Commissioner Rishi Raj Singh suggested that anyone who stares at a woman for more than 14 seconds should be jailed, the same people who voiced support for harassed women were amused, offended and laughed at the officer. “Obviously, they haven’t been leered at,” says actress Divyaprabha, who took to Facebook to narrate an incident she encountered. The Take Off actress was on her way from Pathanamthitta to Ernakulam in a low-floor AC bus when a co-passenger started staring at her. 

She elaborates, “It was a ‘new-gen’ guy who appeared 25. First, I dismissed it as a curiosity of seeing an actress. But I became very uncomfortable as he continued staring at me for more than an hour. I understood his ‘disorder’ and stared back at him. Normally, such weirdos stop once you react, but this guy was unstoppable. I even made my discomfort and irritation evident, but he would take his eyes off me. When the bus halted at Vyttila, I asked him if this was his regular habit, to which he shouted at me: ‘I just looked at you. Did I do anything else’.” 

The response made Divya all the more angry. She reported the incident to the cop at the bus station, but the boy was nowhere to be found. However, she caught hold of him with the help of auto drivers there as he was about to board an autorickshaw. “The guy, hailing from Vadakara, was returning from Gavi in Pathanamthitta. Hope they got to experience the ‘Gavi’ in Ernakulam too,” she says, adding that now she understood the relevance of the 14-second rule. Divya hasn’t lodged any police complaint in this regard, but she chose to write about it. 

“In the wake of recent incidents, I felt that I should let people know that women react if their safety is at jeopardy. Being daytime, he just stared, but what if this was night! I don’t think he knows that I am an actor. This would have happened to anyone. Not everyone would bear with the torture. I usually react to any harassment or ‘approaches’,” says Divya. She admits the situation in the industry is no different. “I have been stared at and have faced misogynist comments, but haven’t faced casting couch,” she says. Another such place is social media. “I get a lot of lewd comments like any actress. In fact, they just need to vent it out on any woman,” she says. 

Currently, enjoying the shooting break of Kammara Sambhavam, in which she acts as the sister of the character played by Dileep, Divya feels that only if women start responding will such incidents cease to happen. She adds, “We have to make our stance clear if we notice any advances, even if it is from our colleagues, friends or a complete stranger. I am sure that still many might not be able to digest how one feels threatened by a ‘check-out’. Maybe they don’t know the suffocation of a woman who is ogled at.”

 Published in Deccan Chronicle on July 8, 2017

A doctorate of honour: Preethi Madambi

 Preethi's family fought all odds to ensure she got an education. And she repaid them by proving her mettle!

Last Friday, in seminar hall of the the Commerce and Management Studies at the University of Calicut, amid loud applause after a PhD open defense, the adjudication committee chairman spoke these words: “From this date onwards, Preethi Madambi will be known as Dr. Preethi Madambi.” That is a moment Preethi can’t forget. “Never ever,” she stresses. The young woman has become an icon of determination and inspiration for fighters after the casual note posted on her Facebook wall went viral. The emotional post depicting the struggles of her father Madambi, a daily wage labourer, to educate his daughters ignoring the taunting relatives and saving every penny, ended with the sentence: Go acha, tell everyone that your girl has earned a doctorate (sic). 

Preethi’s father is no more, but he would have been very proud of his little girl if he was here. “I miss him badly. I was very close to him,” says the girl who hails from Anjur, a village in Kunnamkulam. She hadn’t expected the post to go viral. “I’m not yet awarded the doctoral degree. It was just a recommendation, but that was a memorable moment for me,” she says. Her mother and sister are happy about her achievement, but Preethi says she has a long way to go. Recalling her days as a little girl who rushed home from school to show the full marks on her slate, she says, “Achan was happy that we studied well, but was worried if he could afford to educate us. That was when I cleared the entrance test to the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Thrissur, where I learned till Class XII for free. All my needs – from food, essential supplies to books – were taken care of.” Back home, her sister Silpa studied well and secured admission to an engineering college.

On every monthly parents’ meeting, her dad visited Preethi and they spent time together as he combed her hair and folded her clothes as other kids had their whole family huddled around. “He never brought amma and chechi with him so that he could save the travel expense. Among all those, we were very happy.” She was doing her post-graduation when her dad fell ill, but Preethi looked after her family by working at a parallel college. Her Junior Research Fellowship came then, as a boon. “More than academics, it was monetary benefits that prompted me to grab it. Which job could have brought me Rs 16,000 a month? It was difficult to stay away from home when achan was bed-ridden. But every weekend, I came home and the three of us used to bathe him. He loved it when we washed his hair,” remembers Preethi. All she spoke was about her dad, but the story was about a family of fighters. 

Research too has been tough. She sold off her gold earrings to buy a laptop. Her friends too helped her a lot. People sneered at the girls who preferred education to marriage. She just ignored them, like her dad did, and strode forwards gracefully. She has always been like that – a motivation guru for her friends and students. Now a guest lecturer at TMG College, Tirur, her dream is to teach. “Beyond the subject,” adds Preethi, who wants to become a professor at a government college who motivates, inspires and radiates energy. Pointing at the sad state of affairs, she says, “People say casteism is an old tale. But no, it still exists. As a Dalit, I won’t be accepted as a teacher in any aided college even if I have lakhs to pay. My name will be far down the list even if I can pay Rs 60 lakhs for a teacher’s post in a Devaswom Board-run college. Sadly, I can’t afford such huge money. So, all I can do is to write PSC tests and wait. I am waiting,” she smiles. Confidently, she voices that doctorate is not her greatest achievement. Before writing her off as arrogant, she surprises by saying, “The best is yet to come. I am working towards it.”

Published in Deccan Chronicle on July 7, 2017

Time to declutter your mind

A mental block, the worst nightmare of a professional, can be dealt with sensibly by switching your activities or moving to a new place.

Everything might be going great with your career progressing upward, all your moves perfect and life flowing unhindered, but one day you just go numb, you can’t step ahead and everything appears frozen. Many of us might have faced this. From a student to a celebrity, a mental block is the worst nightmare! The moment you get stuck and lose the motivation to go on is dreaded by all. For some, it is just a passing phase; others need quick intervention — the sooner the better. But why does it happen? 

“There might be several reasons, mostly emotional ones,” explains Dr Shaji Prabhakaran, a senior consultant neurologist. “It’s a competitive world and everyone is under stress to outperform each other. There’s a lot of negativity and pressure that leads to mental blocks,” he says. Acceptance of the situation is the first step. “Understand that it can happen to anyone around you. Take a break, relax, find other interests and pursue them. In fact, activities like yoga can be of great help. If nothing is effective, do not give up. Seek professional help,” he says. 

A mental block that affects one’s performance, skill, creativity, career or life need not be sudden. “Some events might trigger your suppressed memories and you unconsciously block yourself. It can range from witnessing a death to a traumatic sexual abuse. Though we can’t say why the mind acts this way, obsessing about it doesn’t actually help much,” feels Dr C.J. John, chief psychiatrist of Medical Trust Hospital, Kochi.

The burden of expectations results in emotional turmoil in most cases. For a student, a wrong choice of course might make him realise it was not his cup of tea and cause mental blocks. Performance anxiety can be the trigger for an athlete or a sportsperson who loses focus. “Numbness is not insensitivity; it can be the result of hypersensitivity. That is why some people just watch and don’t act when accidents happen. They go numb as their mind prevents them from acting,” Dr John adds. 

However, all these can be dealt with sensibly. Urbanisation causes a block in all physical and emotional spaces. When leading a target-oriented lifestyle, you can’t escape from mental blocks easily unless you cultivate the ability to cope up with the fast pace. “Instead of getting tormented, address the aspect that bothers you and engage in confidence-building activities. Ideally, one has to focus on life above materialism. Change your action, switch your job, move to another place — just leave your past behind and start afresh. Script a new lifestyle and fix your priorities by managing time well. Be contented and choose peace over worries,” Dr John says. 

It’s as simple as clearing a cluttered table. Rearrange everything and break the mental wall that stands in your path!

 Published in Deccan Chronicle on July 5, 2017

Gayathri Arun's big screen act

TV's beloved cop will now star in Sarvopari Palakkaran.

Gayathri Arun has a lot in common with Deepthi IPS, the mini screen superheroine who broke soap stereotypes. Like her character Deepthi, Gayathri too is committed to her family and her profession alike. When various big screen offers came her way, sounding just like Deepthi, she said, “I made a commitment and can’t leave it midway.” She will soon make her debut in films with Sarvopari Palakkaran, in which she plays the role of a police officer. 

“My six-day shoot did in no way affect the schedule of Parasparam,” she maintains. Four years of playing the central character in the longest running top-rated soap of Malayalam television seems to have made her a bit like her onscreen avatar. “I have been getting many calls for movies. But I value my word. I have been with Parasparam for more than four years. This role has brought me so much fame, love and respect. Moving to films means I will have to let go of Deepthi, which I can’t do,” reasons Gayathri, who now spends 15 days a month on the sets of Parasparam. 

Again a police act. Was she being typecast? “I don’t think so. TV and big screen are two different realms and the characters are different. Deepthi is someone who has become a part of me. In the movie, Chandra Sivakumar — Thrissur City Police Commissioner — comes in at a very crucial point as part of the investigation of a case by the hero, another cop played by Anoop Menon,” Gayathri says.

Anoop too is someone who came from the mini screen and made it big in movies. Gayathri feels working with Anoop has been a revelation. “I was expecting a tense environment. But Venugopan, the director, and Anoop were very supportive. They told me about the difference between acting in movies and serials — like quicker movements and toning down of exaggerated expressions. Anoop even enacted my part and made my transition easier. We had a lot of combination scenes as we were playing colleagues. And no, it is not a crime thriller, but a comedy entertainer with a socially relevant theme,” she says. The movie is expected to hit the screens on July 21.

 Published in Deccan Chronicle on July 3, 2017 

Movie review: 'Pretham Undu Sookshikkuka': Go find the horror

Cast: Shine Tom Chacko, Haressh Kanaran, Kalhara, Harish Perady, Thesni Khan, Priyanka 

Directors: Shafeer Khan and Mohammed Ali 

Rating: 1 star 

A perfect choice for the Mollywood version of the Golden Kela Award, Pretham Undu Sookshikkuka (Beware of Ghosts) is neither a horror movie nor a comedy. Directed by debutants Shafeer Khan and Mohammed Ali, the movie features Shine Tom Chacko, newbie Kalhara and a host of comedians. Though the film has almost all the ingredients that a horror comedy needs — a haunted mansion, phony black magicians, loud screams, goof-ups, endless chases, mystery, twists, and a ear-shattering background score — it is neither scary nor rib-tickling. 

The nearly two-and-a-half-hour-long movie, which is a terrible test of one's endurance, revolves around the members of two ‘quotation’ gangs — one headed by Ethics Babu (Shine) and another by Mattanchery Machu (Hareesh Kanaran). In the movie, the Mumbai-bred daughter of a millionaire falls for Babu, the ‘noble goon’. The haunted mansion rented out as a police station is also a part of this confusing plot that is replete with sexist humor and a series of kidnappings. 

It is a shame to see the talents of actors like Shine and Anjali Nair being wasted. Rizabawa and T.P. Madhavan, who made brief appearances, will be remembered for their shabby makeup. Abu Salim’s attempt at humour doesn’t fare well, nor does Shammy Thilakan’s feeble performance, with many references to the roles played by his thespian father. Santhosh Keezhattur and Harish Perady are the only ones that don’t make you cringe. 

The rest of the cast — Leena Maria Paul, Pashanam Shaji, Sunil Sukhada, Manoj Guiness, Thesni Khan, Priyanka, Mini Richard and Unni Sivapal — only adds to the misery. The romantic Hindi song and two fast numbers by Hesham Abdul Wahab fail to strike a chord. In fact the best part of the movie is, when the end credits start to roll.

 Published in Deccan Chronicle on July 2, 2017