{"id":1188,"date":"2020-06-05T15:03:26","date_gmt":"2020-06-05T15:03:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/poliochildren.org\/?p=1188"},"modified":"2022-03-03T18:17:07","modified_gmt":"2022-03-03T18:17:07","slug":"visit-to-sksn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/poliochildren.org\/india\/visit-to-sksn\/","title":{"rendered":"Visit to SKSN"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: center;\">by Dinesh D. Dattani, Toronto, Canada.<\/p>\n<p>This blog describes my recent visit to SKSN in December of 2010. I went there with a friend, Niranjan Joshi. SKSN stands for Sucheta Kriplani Shiksha Niketan.&nbsp;It is a residential (boarding) school for the physically challenged, and is located about 30 kilometres from Jodhpur in Rajasthan, in Northern India. The school currently houses about 500 children, out of which about 140 are girls.&nbsp;Most of these students suffer from polio.&nbsp;We went there as supporters of Polio Children, a charity founded by the Patel brothers, Arun, Shirish and Mayoor.&nbsp;Polio Children is a big supporter of SKSN, and this charity has provided funding and other help for various large projects. Generally for visitors coming from outside India, Jodhpur can be reached either by flying to New Delhi and going south, or flying to Ahmedabad and going north. We took the second route. On December 6, we left the crowded city of Ahmedabad and boarded the sleeper train to Jodhpur.<\/p>\n\r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            <a name='map7'><\/a>\r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            <div class=\"wpgmza_map \"  id=\"wpgmza_map_7\" style=\"display:block; overflow:auto; width:100%; height:400px; float:left;\" 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data-map-id='7' data-shortcode-attributes='{\"id\":\"7\"}'> <\/div>\r\n            \r\n               \r\n        <div style=\"display:block; width:100%;\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wpgmza-directions-box wpgmaps_directions_outer_div style-modern\" data-map-id=\"7\" style=\"width:100%;display:none;clear:both;\" id=\"wpgmaps_directions_edit_7\">\n\t<h2 class=\"wpgmza-directions-box__title\">Get Directions<\/h2>\n\t\n\t<div class=\"wpgmza-directions-box-inner\" id=\"wpgmaps_directions_editbox_7\">\n\t\t<div class=\"wpgmza-directions-actions wpgmza-form-field\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wpgmza-directions__travel-mode\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wpgmza-travel-mode-option wpgmza-travel-option__selected\" data-mode=\"driving\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/poliochildren.org\/wp-content\/plugins\/wp-google-maps-pro\/images\/icons\/directions_car.png\">\n\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wpgmza-travel-mode-option\" data-mode=\"walking\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img 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class=\"wpgmza-reset-directions\" style=\"display: none;\" onclick=\"javascript: ;\" mapid=\"7\">\n\t\t\t\tReset directions\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t<div id=\"wpgmaps_directions_notification_7\" style=\"display:none;\">Fetching directions......<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t<div id=\"wpgmaps_directions_reset_7\" style=\"display:none;\">\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href='javascript:void(0)' onclick='wpgmza_reset_directions(7);' id='wpgmaps_reset_directions' title='Reset directions'>Reset directions<\/a>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<br \/>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href='javascript: ;' id='wpgmaps_print_directions_7' target='_blank' title='Print directions'>Print directions<\/a>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t<div id=\"directions_panel_7\"><\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            <a name='map31'><\/a>\r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            <div class=\"wpgmza_map \"  id=\"wpgmza_map_31\" style=\"display:block; overflow:auto; width:100%; height:400px; float:left;\" data-settings='{\"id\":\"31\",\"map_title\":\" 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data-map-id='31' data-shortcode-attributes='{\"id\":\"31\"}'> <\/div>\r\n            \r\n               \r\n        \n<p>Upon arrival in Jodhpur, we went straight to Mandore, about 10 km to the north. Here we were warmly greeted by Dr. Bhairoon Singh Bhati. His guest-house would be our home for the next twelve days. &nbsp;He briefly showed us the guest-house facilities; we had dinner and had a good night&#8217;s sleep. The next day Dr. Bhati drove us to SKSN, about 20 km from Mandore, and the main purpose for our long journey to India. Dr. Bhati is a colourful character with a pony-tail and a black beret, like the one worn by boy scouts. He is very friendly, talks straight, and is respected by one and all at SKSN.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/poliochildren.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Dr_Bhati_in_a_reflective_mood_on_the_grounds_of_SKSN.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Dr_Bhati_in_a_reflective_mood,_on_the_grounds_of_SKSN\" src=\"https:\/\/poliochildren.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Dr_Bhati_in_a_reflective_mood_on_the_grounds_of_SKSN.jpg\" alt=\"Dr_Bhati_in_a_reflective_mood,_on_the_grounds_of_SKSN\" width=\"488\" height=\"368\" data-id=\"1472\" data-init-width=\"488\" data-init-height=\"368\" data-width=\"488\" data-height=\"368\" data-link-wrap=\"true\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Dr. Bhati in a reflective mood, on the grounds of SKSN.<\/p>\n<p>He showed us the vast school grounds, and introduced us to various teachers and staff. One of the first things you notice here is that the students are all happy. Smiling students greeted us everywhere with \u201cGood Morning Sir!\u201d They appear to have the basic necessities such as clean sleeping quarters and a good kitchen that feeds them three times a day. This is thanks to generous donations by major charities such as Polio Children and a German Charity run by Karin Demuth.&nbsp;Students at SKSN have positive thinking ingrained in them. Everywhere on the walls you see plaques with positive messages in Hindi and English, such as: \u201cAim high, and reach for your goals\u201d and \u201dDo not forget Mother\u2019s love\u201d.&nbsp;Also on the walls there are pictures of visiting dignitaries who have come here in support of the school\u2019s aims. Among the distinguished guests who have visited SKSN are Pratibha Patil, the current President of India; Dr. Abdul Kalam, a past president of India; and Kapil Dev, the famous cricketer.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"width: 100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/poliochildren.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Happy-children-during-school-assembly-giving-us-a-warm-welcome.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Happy children during school assembly giving us a warm welcome\" src=\"https:\/\/poliochildren.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Happy-children-during-school-assembly-giving-us-a-warm-welcome.jpg\" alt=\"Happy-children-during-school-assembly-giving-us-a-warm-welcome.jpg\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" data-id=\"1457\" data-width=\"500\" data-height=\"375\" data-init-width=\"1024\" data-init-height=\"769\" data-link-wrap=\"true\"><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Happy children during school assembly giving us a warm welcome<\/p>\n<p>Over the course of our visit I learned there are many success stories at this school. Students have overcome their disabilities and achieved great results. First there is Janak Singh. He is a grade 12 student at SKSN. I met him on my first day in the Computer Lab, where I provided supplementary teaching assistance. The equipment and training costs for this Computer Lab are funded by Polio Children. Janak&#8217;s story is remarkable. He is an accomplished athlete. In 2000, when he was 11 years old, he won five gold medals at the Para Olympics held in London, England. His plans are to compete in the 2012 Para Olympics in the half-marathon wheelchair race category. He is going to England next month to do some training and to participate in the qualifying competition. We wish him good luck in his endeavours. Janak&#8217;s training for the 2012 Para Olympics will be largely funded by Polio Children as part of its initiative to raise the awareness on the plight of children suffering from polio.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/poliochildren.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Janak-Singh-on-the-terrace-of-the-Computer-Lab.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Janak Singh on the terrace of the Computer Lab\" src=\"https:\/\/poliochildren.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Janak-Singh-on-the-terrace-of-the-Computer-Lab.jpg\" alt=\"Janak Singh on the terrace of the Computer Lab\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" data-id=\"1459\" data-init-width=\"1024\" data-init-height=\"769\" data-width=\"500\" data-height=\"375\" data-link-wrap=\"true\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Janak Singh on the terrace of the Computer Lab. He proudly related his story to me<\/p>\n<p>Janak exudes self confidence and is proud to represent India in International competitions. His story will be filmed by a major supporter of SKSN, Sneh Productions, and may be televised in England and elsewhere. The filming crew would be coming the following week for this purpose. I met another resident of SKSN, Rameshwar Bissnoi. When very young, he lost both his hands, and learned to eat and write with his feet. I told him to write, and took a picture. Then there is Anuradha, who is completing her Medical degree in India. This despite the fact she comes from a poor background, and has severe polio in the legs. She studied for three years at SKSN before going to another school to qualify for entrance to medical school. Anuradha\u2019s medical education is sponsored entirely by Polio Children, U.S.A. Polio Children\u2019s main objective is to make these children self sufficient. In this regard, I am sure the charity will not be disappointed \u2013 I met some of the students pursuing University education, and a number of girls learning tailoring skills under the Vocational Training Centres (VTC) programmes. I also heard of Bintu, a girl totally paralysed in both her legs and her right hand, who became a qualified teacher!&nbsp;These and other inspirational stories are testament to the dedicated staff at SKSN, and also to the various charities that support it.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/poliochildren.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Rameshwar-Bissnoi-This-young-boy-always-had-a-smile-on-his-face.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Rameshwar Bissnoi This young boy always had a smile on his face\" src=\"https:\/\/poliochildren.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Rameshwar-Bissnoi-This-young-boy-always-had-a-smile-on-his-face.jpg\" alt=\"Rameshwar Bissnoi This young boy always had a smile on his face\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" data-id=\"1462\" data-init-width=\"1024\" data-init-height=\"769\" data-width=\"500\" data-height=\"375\" data-link-wrap=\"true\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Rameshwar Bissnoi. This young boy always had a smile on his face<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Montserrat; font-weight: 400;\">On my third day at SKSN I took the chess board with me. During the first couple of days I had<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-family: Montserrat;\">already made some inquires about chess.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-family: Montserrat;\">One of my pet projects for SKSN was to promote the game of chess. I would play with those<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-family: Montserrat;\">that knew the game, and teach to those that were interested. It was an apt thing to do &#8211; this<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-family: Montserrat;\">beautiful game originated in India; moreover, I believe chess is an excellent mental sport,<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-family: Montserrat;\">especially suited for the physically challenged. It teaches one concentration, patience and<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-family: Montserrat;\">strategy.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-family: Montserrat;\">I had no idea how my chess intentions would turn out. People I had talked to before I came<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-family: Montserrat;\">here were sceptical. &#8220;Chess will be too much &#8211; try drafts instead&#8221;, someone had suggested back<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-family: Montserrat;\">in Canada. &#8220;Maybe you should try Ludo&#8221;, another had said, tongue-in-cheek.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-family: Montserrat;\">I was therefore pleasantly surprised to find there were about five players who played chess<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-family: Montserrat;\">more or less regularly. And there were also others who played occasionally.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-family: Montserrat;\">I played a casual game with Janak Singh, the athlete. He understood basic principles, and<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-family: Montserrat;\">played roughly at a Canadian chess rating of 1100.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-family: Montserrat;\">Then Janak introduced me to Amar Singh, who is considered somewhat of a resident chess<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Montserrat; font-weight: 400;\">expert. I played a game with Amar, on the terrace of the Computer Lab Building, surrounded by<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Montserrat; font-weight: 400;\">After the tea one day, I saw the warden\u2019s daughter, about 12 years. She went to a boarding<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-family: Montserrat;\">school in Mt. Abu, but was now here for the holidays.<\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-family: Montserrat;\">\u200b<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-family: Montserrat;\">&#8220;Do you know chess?&#8221; I asked Kamaksha. Her answer was no. Her mother encouraged her to<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Montserrat; font-weight: 400;\">learn. So I set up the pieces and gave her her first chess lesson. Surrounded by some keen observers<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/poliochildren.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Amar-Singh-contemplates-his-next-move-while-I-chat-with-onlookers.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Amar Singh contemplates his next move, while I chat with onlookers\" src=\"https:\/\/poliochildren.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Amar-Singh-contemplates-his-next-move-while-I-chat-with-onlookers.jpg\" alt=\"Amar Singh contemplates his next move, while I chat with onlookers\" width=\"500\" height=\"376\" data-id=\"1453\" data-init-width=\"1024\" data-init-height=\"769\" data-width=\"500\" data-height=\"376\" data-link-wrap=\"true\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Amar Singh contemplates his next move, while I chat with onlookers<\/p>\n<p>Many people who visit this remote school do so for chartitable reasons. Others come here to<\/p>\n<p>do volunteer work. During our stay I had the pleasure of knowing some of these individuals.<\/p>\n<p>There was Arun Sangave, who came from Rochester, U.S.A. He is the Director of Polio Children,<\/p>\n<p>U.S.A.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/poliochildren.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/L-to-R-Dr-Bhati-with-his-trademark-beret-myself-Arun-Sangave-Niranjan.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"L to R Dr Bhati with his trademark beret myself, Arun Sangave, Niranjan\" src=\"https:\/\/poliochildren.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/L-to-R-Dr-Bhati-with-his-trademark-beret-myself-Arun-Sangave-Niranjan.jpg\" alt=\"L to R Dr Bhati with his trademark beret myself, Arun Sangave, Niranjan\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" data-id=\"1460\" data-init-width=\"1024\" data-init-height=\"768\" data-width=\"500\" data-height=\"375\" data-link-wrap=\"true\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>L to R: Dr. Bhati with his trademark beret; myself, Arun Sangave, Niranjan.<\/strong>\u200b<\/p>\n<p>While we were there we were joined by a couple from Australia. They were doing some filming of SKSN, particularly Janak Singh. Their aim, like ours, was to promote SKSN.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/poliochildren.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/The-Australian-couple-Niobe-and-Michael-with-daughter-Isabella-in-the-middle.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"The Australian couple Niobe and Michael with daughter Isabella in the middle\" src=\"https:\/\/poliochildren.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/The-Australian-couple-Niobe-and-Michael-with-daughter-Isabella-in-the-middle.jpg\" alt=\"The Australian couple Niobe and Michael with daughter Isabella in the middle\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" data-id=\"1464\" data-init-width=\"1024\" data-init-height=\"769\" data-width=\"500\" data-height=\"375\" data-link-wrap=\"true\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">The Australian couple Niobe and Michael, with daughter Isabella in the middle<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Montserrat; font-weight: 400;\">We met Sneh Gupta (of Sneh Productions, another supporter of SKSN) and one other person<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-family: Montserrat;\">from New Delhi. They were here to work with the film crew from Australia.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-family: Montserrat;\">We also met a young man named Paul Ulrich, from Germany. He intended to stay here two to<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-family: Montserrat;\">three months, teaching computer skills.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-family: Montserrat;\">I admired Paul\u2019s commitment and enthusiasm, considering he knew no Hindi at all. \u201cHow will<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-family: Montserrat;\">you ask for directions if you get lost?\u201d I asked him. He told me that, to get him out of trouble,<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Montserrat; font-weight: 400;\">he always carried with him the business card of Dr. Bhati and the address of SKSN.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/poliochildren.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/The-soft-spoken-Paul-providing-computer-training.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"The soft-spoken Paul providing computer training\" src=\"https:\/\/poliochildren.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/The-soft-spoken-Paul-providing-computer-training.jpg\" alt=\"The soft-spoken Paul providing computer training\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" data-id=\"1467\" data-init-width=\"1024\" data-init-height=\"769\" data-width=\"500\" data-height=\"375\" data-link-wrap=\"true\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">The soft-spoken Paul providing computer training<\/p>\n<p>I was told the students at SKSN play cricket and do gymnastics, within the limits of their physical<\/p>\n<p>ability, of course.<\/p>\n<p>But I was surprised they even played the old Indian game of kabaddi, commonly associated<\/p>\n<p>with stamina and physical agility. During our visit, we were fortunate to watch a kabaddi<\/p>\n<p>competion on the school grounds. It was on a beautiful evening, the sun was setting, and it was<\/p>\n<p>an excellent time for taking pictures.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/poliochildren.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/The-game-of-Kabaddi-in-full-swing.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"The game of Kabaddi in full swing\" src=\"https:\/\/poliochildren.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/The-game-of-Kabaddi-in-full-swing.jpg\" alt=\"The game of Kabaddi in full swing\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" data-id=\"1465\" data-init-width=\"1024\" data-init-height=\"768\" data-width=\"500\" data-height=\"375\" data-link-wrap=\"true\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">The game of Kabaddi in full swing. One would never think these boys had physical disabilities!<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/poliochildren.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Another-kabaddi-scene2.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Another kabaddi scene2\" src=\"https:\/\/poliochildren.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Another-kabaddi-scene2.jpg\" alt=\"Another kabaddi scene2\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" data-id=\"1454\" data-init-width=\"1024\" data-init-height=\"769\" data-width=\"500\" data-height=\"375\" data-link-wrap=\"true\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Another kabaddi scene: A physical sport played by the physically challenged caption text here<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/poliochildren.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Inside-the-Computer-Lab-Eager-children-always-ready-to-pose.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Inside the Computer Lab Eager children always ready to pose\" src=\"https:\/\/poliochildren.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Inside-the-Computer-Lab-Eager-children-always-ready-to-pose.jpg\" alt=\"Inside the Computer Lab Eager children always ready to pose\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" data-id=\"1458\" data-init-width=\"1024\" data-init-height=\"768\" data-width=\"500\" data-height=\"375\" data-link-wrap=\"true\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Inside the Computer Lab. Eager children always ready to pose<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/poliochildren.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Niranjan-having-fun-teaching-an-English-class.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Niranjan having fun teaching an English class\" src=\"https:\/\/poliochildren.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Niranjan-having-fun-teaching-an-English-class.jpg\" alt=\"Niranjan having fun teaching an English class\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" data-id=\"1461\" data-init-width=\"1024\" data-init-height=\"769\" data-width=\"500\" data-height=\"375\" data-link-wrap=\"true\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Niranjan having fun teaching an English class.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/poliochildren.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/SKSN-girls-oblige-me-for-a-picture.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"SKSN girls oblige me for a picture\" src=\"https:\/\/poliochildren.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/SKSN-girls-oblige-me-for-a-picture.jpg\" alt=\"SKSN girls oblige me for a picture\" width=\"500\" height=\"376\" data-id=\"1463\" data-init-width=\"1024\" data-init-height=\"770\" data-width=\"500\" data-height=\"376\" data-link-wrap=\"true\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">SKSN girls oblige me for a picture. In the background is &#8220;Hari ka Dwar&#8221;, a temple for all faiths within the school boundaries.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/poliochildren.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/A-purpose-built-Girls-Hostel-entirely-funded-by-Polio-Children.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"A purpose-built Girls Hostel entirely funded by Polio Children\" src=\"https:\/\/poliochildren.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/A-purpose-built-Girls-Hostel-entirely-funded-by-Polio-Children.jpg\" alt=\"A purpose-built Girls Hostel entirely funded by Polio Children\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" data-id=\"1452\" data-init-width=\"1012\" data-init-height=\"759\" data-width=\"500\" data-height=\"375\" data-link-wrap=\"true\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">A purpose-built Girls\u2019 Hostel entirely funded by Polio Children<\/p>\n<p>I was having chai from a street vendor just outside the school compound. A studentapproached me and said, \u201cMere gaon me aap aonge?\u201d Will you please come to my village, he inquired politely.<\/p>\n<p>I sensed this may be my only chance to see farm life. It was noon, and the kabaddi games werenot starting until late in the evening, so why not? I followed him along the country road. His name was Bhagirath Vissnoi, a grade 12 student. His village, he said, was about 6 km away.<\/p>\n<p>It was a long walk, so part-way he started flagging passing vehicles. A man on a scooter stopped. In these parts, people know each other, and help out whenever they can. We went the rest of the way on this scooter, my first experience with three people sitting on one.<\/p>\n<p>Soon we were in their carrot farm. I was warmly welcomed by Bhagirath\u2019s uncles and grandfather. We had chai.&nbsp;Then we walked around the farm, lined with irrigation canals.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/poliochildren.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/The-road-leading-to-the-carrot-farm.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"The road leading to the carrot farm\" src=\"https:\/\/poliochildren.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/The-road-leading-to-the-carrot-farm.jpg\" alt=\"The road leading to the carrot farm\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" data-id=\"1466\" data-init-width=\"1024\" data-init-height=\"769\" data-width=\"500\" data-height=\"375\" data-link-wrap=\"true\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">The road leading to the carrot farm<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/poliochildren.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Bhagirath-with-his-uncle.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Bhagirath with his uncle\" src=\"https:\/\/poliochildren.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Bhagirath-with-his-uncle.jpg\" alt=\"Bhagirath with his uncle\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" data-id=\"1455\" data-init-width=\"1024\" data-init-height=\"769\" data-width=\"500\" data-height=\"375\" data-link-wrap=\"true\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Bhagirath with his uncle<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/poliochildren.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/This-hut-serves-as-a-shelter-during-the-day-At-night-they-go-to-a-more.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"This hut serves as a shelter during the day At night, they go to a more\" src=\"https:\/\/poliochildren.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/This-hut-serves-as-a-shelter-during-the-day-At-night-they-go-to-a-more.jpg\" alt=\"This hut serves as a shelter during the day At night, they go to a more\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" data-id=\"1468\" data-init-width=\"1024\" data-init-height=\"769\" data-width=\"500\" data-height=\"375\" data-link-wrap=\"true\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">This hut serves as a shelter during the day. At night, they go to a more permanent home nearby.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/poliochildren.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/With-Bhagirath-background-carrot-farm.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"With Bhagirath background carrot farm\" src=\"https:\/\/poliochildren.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/With-Bhagirath-background-carrot-farm.jpg\" alt=\"With Bhagirath background carrot farm\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" data-id=\"1451\" data-init-width=\"1024\" data-init-height=\"769\" data-width=\"500\" data-height=\"375\" data-link-wrap=\"true\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">With Bhagirath. In the background is the carrot farm.<\/p>\n<p>When I left, the grandfather gave me large, freshly cut carrots from his farm. I did not know what I would do with so many carrots. Still, I could not refuse, for it was a symbol of hospitality. I filled up my backpack.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/poliochildren.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Bhagirath-grandfather..jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Bhagirath grandfather.\" src=\"https:\/\/poliochildren.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Bhagirath-grandfather..jpg\" alt=\"Bhagirath\u2019s grandfather.\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" data-id=\"1441\" data-init-width=\"1024\" data-init-height=\"769\" data-width=\"500\" data-height=\"375\" data-link-wrap=\"true\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Bhagirath\u2019s grandfather.<\/p>\n<p>Going off the beaten path to a farm may not be for everyone. For those wanting to do more traditional sight-seeing, this part of Rajasthan has plenty to offer.First, there is the city of Jodhpur itself. On our second day, we went to the busy city-center.The traffic here reminded me of the hectic life of Ahmedabad. The roads are shared by cars,buses, trucks, taxis, rickshaws, scooters and motor cycles, and more often than not, also by cows, dogs and camels. Among the chaos there is order \u2013 orderly chaos, if you will.<\/p>\n<p>A peculiar aspect of Indian roads is the incessant beeping and honking.People here beep, Ifound out, for various reasons \u2013 they beep to warn the vehicle (or animal) in front that they are behind; to show annoyance that the vehicle in front is too slow and should speed up; they beep<\/p>\n<p>when they are happy; or when they are running late and are irritated. And finally, they beep simply because everyone else is beeping. One person took this to a whole new level \u2013 I saw him beeping at apparently no-one, in a parked car and in a parking lot!<\/p>\n<p>For the drivers the margin of error is very small. For example the driver assumes that the scooter in front will not veer even slightly from its intended path. It does so at its peril. Even the animals on the roads seem to understand this principle.<\/p>\n<p>On Indian roads everyone has the right of way, and at the same time no-one has the right of way. Generally, when there is doubt, smaller vehicles give way to larger ones. I suspect this is merely out of practicality, for the smaller vehicle would fare worse in an accident.<\/p>\n<p>Daily you see vehicles and animals coming within inches of each other, sometimes at high speeds. Despite all this, I saw only two minor collisions.<\/p>\n<p>If observing road traffic does not interest you there are other places to see.Just in the vicinity of Jodhpur there is the famous Mehrangarh Fort, commonly known as<\/p>\n<p>Jodhpur Fort. It is by far the biggest tourist attraction in this part of the world.One day we left the serene atmosphere of SKSN to go to Jodhpur Fort. The fort offers an excellent view of the city. Only from there does one understand why Jodhpur is known as the blue city.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/poliochildren.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/The-majestic-Mehrangarh-Fort-in-Jodhpur.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"The majestic Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur\" src=\"https:\/\/poliochildren.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/The-majestic-Mehrangarh-Fort-in-Jodhpur.jpg\" alt=\"The majestic Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" data-id=\"1490\" data-init-width=\"1024\" data-init-height=\"769\" data-width=\"500\" data-height=\"375\" data-link-wrap=\"true\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">The majestic Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/poliochildren.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Dinesh-atop-blue-city-jodhpur.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Dinesh atop blue city jodhpur\" src=\"https:\/\/poliochildren.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Dinesh-atop-blue-city-jodhpur.jpg\" alt=\"Atop the \u2019blue\u2019 city of Jodhpur: a view from the Fort. Jaipur, by contrast, is known as the pink city.\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" data-id=\"1442\" data-init-width=\"1024\" data-init-height=\"769\" data-width=\"500\" data-height=\"375\" data-link-wrap=\"true\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Atop the \u2019blue\u2019 city of Jodhpur: a view from the Fort. Jaipur, by contrast, is known as the pink city.<\/p>\n<p>Ten kilometres from Jodhpur are the Mandore Gardens. The place is also known as Mandodari,after Ravana\u2019s wife\u2019s name.&nbsp;According to local fable, Mandodari was the residence of Ravana\u2019s in-laws. Ravana himself is believed to have spent a night or two here on his way south.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/poliochildren.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Mandore-Gardens.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Mandore Gardens\" src=\"https:\/\/poliochildren.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Mandore-Gardens.jpg\" alt=\"The beautiful Mandore Gardens are . . .\" width=\"500\" height=\"376\" data-id=\"1445\" data-init-width=\"1024\" data-init-height=\"770\" data-width=\"500\" data-height=\"376\" data-link-wrap=\"true\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">The beautiful Mandore Gardens are . . .<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/poliochildren.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Numerous-monkeys.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Numerous monkeys\" src=\"https:\/\/poliochildren.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Numerous-monkeys.jpg\" alt=\". . . home to numerous monkeys\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" data-id=\"1446\" data-init-width=\"1024\" data-init-height=\"769\" data-width=\"500\" data-height=\"375\" data-link-wrap=\"true\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">. . . home to numerous monkeys<\/p>\n<p>Another tourist attraction is Maharaja Umaid Singh&#8217;s Palace.&nbsp;It was built fairly recently, around 1946, and now the current Maharaja (in name and wealth only, for he wields no powers) lives<\/p>\n<p>in one half of the palace, and the other half has been converted into a five-star luxury hotel.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/poliochildren.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Maharaja-Umaids-Palace.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Maharaja Umaids Palace\" src=\"https:\/\/poliochildren.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Maharaja-Umaids-Palace.jpg\" alt=\"Maharaja Umaid\u2019s Palace. Part of it is luxury hotel.\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" data-id=\"1443\" data-init-width=\"1024\" data-init-height=\"769\" data-width=\"500\" data-height=\"375\" data-link-wrap=\"true\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Maharaja Umaid\u2019s Palace. Part of it is luxury hotel.<\/p>\n<p>About 70 km north of Jodhpur is the ancient Temple of Osiyan, also known as Mataji Temple.&nbsp;We went there one afternoon. Many parts of Rajasthan are arid and dry, almost desert-like. On our way to Osiyan all we could see was the barren landscape.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/poliochildren.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Priest-at-Osiyan-Temple.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Priest at Osiyan Temple\" src=\"https:\/\/poliochildren.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Priest-at-Osiyan-Temple.jpg\" alt=\"Priest at Osiyan Temple\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" data-id=\"1447\" data-init-width=\"1024\" data-init-height=\"769\" data-width=\"500\" data-height=\"375\" data-link-wrap=\"true\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p>This priest at Osiyan Temple was not aware I was taking his picture.&nbsp;Immediately afterward, he uttered something at me in Sanskrit, which I hope was a blessing!<\/p>\n<p>The entire visit to SKSN has been an enlightening experience, and at the same time, a humbling<\/p>\n<p>one.<\/p>\n<p>So many disabled children smiling and laughing and trying to secure a place in a society that<\/p>\n<p>shuns them. Here in the sheltered environs of SKSN, they are relatively well off, but once they<\/p>\n<p>leave this place and enter the real world, there is no doubt they will face an uphill struggle.<\/p>\n<p>Unlike the West, the East is a cruel place where the unfortunate are trodden over all the time.&nbsp;It is the norm. They better have mastered some skills at SKSN, or otherwise distinguished<\/p>\n<p>themselves, like Janak Singh and Anuradha.<\/p>\n<p>Hopefully many of these students will escape the twin evils of poverty and polio by taking<\/p>\n<p>advantage of the Polio Children&#8217;s University support or VTC programmes.<\/p>\n<p>I believe that for many of them their school years at SKSN will be cherished and remembered as<\/p>\n<p>happy ones, as much as can be, for handicapped people.<\/p>\n<p>SKSN was the major reason for my trip to India. I had come here not knowing what to expect.<\/p>\n<p>The very suspense was, to me, an excellent opportunity to improvise as I went along.<\/p>\n<p>I thought I would teach the students computer skills. It turns out I could do little teaching, for<\/p>\n<p>they do have competent teachers. All I could do was offer encouragement and guide them.<\/p>\n<p>Instead of me teaching them, they taught me how fortunate we are in the West in terms of<\/p>\n<p>open-mindedness, affluence and opportunities.<\/p>\n<p>On the next pages I leave you with more impressions of this very inspiring place<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/poliochildren.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/SKSN-Students-together-collage.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"SKSN Students together collage\" src=\"https:\/\/poliochildren.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/SKSN-Students-together-collage.jpg\" alt=\"SKSN Students together collage\" width=\"500\" height=\"354\" data-id=\"1449\" data-init-width=\"1024\" data-init-height=\"724\" data-width=\"500\" data-height=\"354\" data-link-wrap=\"true\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/poliochildren.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/SKSN-Students-together-collage-3.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"SKSN Students together collage- 3\" src=\"https:\/\/poliochildren.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/SKSN-Students-together-collage-3.jpg\" alt=\"SKSN Students together collage- 3\" width=\"500\" height=\"354\" data-id=\"1448\" data-init-width=\"1024\" data-init-height=\"724\" data-width=\"500\" data-height=\"354\" data-link-wrap=\"true\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/poliochildren.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Montage-of-SKSN-students.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Montage of SKSN students\" src=\"https:\/\/poliochildren.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Montage-of-SKSN-students.jpg\" alt=\"Montage of SKSN students\" width=\"500\" height=\"354\" data-id=\"1497\" data-init-width=\"1024\" data-init-height=\"724\" data-width=\"500\" data-height=\"354\" data-link-wrap=\"true\"><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>by Dinesh D. Dattani, Toronto, Canada. This blog describes my recent visit to SKSN in December of 2010. I went there with a friend, Niranjan Joshi. SKSN stands for Sucheta Kriplani Shiksha Niketan.&nbsp;It is a residential (boarding) school for the physically challenged, and is located about 30 kilometres from Jodhpur in Rajasthan, in Northern India. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1449,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[51,52],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/poliochildren.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1188"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/poliochildren.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/poliochildren.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/poliochildren.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/poliochildren.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1188"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/poliochildren.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1188\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3274,"href":"https:\/\/poliochildren.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1188\/revisions\/3274"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/poliochildren.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1449"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/poliochildren.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1188"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/poliochildren.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1188"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/poliochildren.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1188"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}