We walked into Anandilal Poddar School for the Deaf and Mute, which somehow reminded me of Kendriya Vidyalaya’s campus. It brought back memories from the times of my 12th-grade board exams. Oh, how I miss the all the pre-examination anxiety! (Note the sarcasm).

Anywho, we met with Mr. Yogendra Singh Naruka, who is a professor there. The reason for this meeting was worthy of a celebration. Six girls from their school have been accepted into Maharani College.

He introduced us to 4 girls, Sujata, Khushboo, Pooja, and Nasreen. Sujata and Nasreen have already been accepted into Maharani College, and Khushboo and Pooja are yet to apply. Before we started, I had a similar feeling of anxiety like I did during my exams, only, this time, it was out of excitement.

Mr. Naruka first told us about his vision to send students from their school to good colleges. Rajasthan University very recently started providing seats and facilities to the deaf and mute. Mr. Naruka decided that he wanted to send the boys to Rajasthan University and the girls to Maharani College, the reason being that Maharani is safe for girls and provides them with canteen and accommodation facilities as the girls are not from Jaipur. He was the one who requested RU to start providing facilities for students like these. RU agreed to provide free admission to them but the deadline to apply had run and they had had no admissions so far. Therefore, six girls had applied to Maharani College. Another pro for joining Maharani was that the UGCs release a fund each year which will be beneficial for these girls if they want to apply for any competitive exams.

I kept noticing the girls and found them conversing among themselves. There was a lot they were conveying through signs and expressions that were way beyond my understanding.

All the girls have chosen a course in BA since the school only has humanities-based subject facilities so far. “We looked at the syllabus for deaf and mute schools in South India and noticed that they provided commerce and science based subjects. We will try to get commerce and science subjects in our syllabus. But, for that, we will have to start to teach them at the school level “, he said.

After talking to Mr. Yogendra for a while, he called for the girls’ interpreter Mr. Kamlesh Sharma. Watching him mediate our conversation in the sign language was extremely interesting. I could not help but smile. As an aspiring polyglot, it made me want to learn how to sign. So far, I only know how to say ‘thank you.’ *Sigh*

Anyway, let’s get back to the conversation with the girls.

Me: Sujata and Nasreen have already been accepted, and Pooja and Khushboo will soon get in too. What are your expectations from your college life?

Collective Response: All we want is to be treated alike and be given the same facilities as the others. We want to have a chance of connecting with regular students and want to have a college life like theirs.

I bet that it’s gonna be better than what you expect, girls.

Me: What do you want to do in the future?

Pooja says that she wants to study aviation and become an air hostess, while Khushboo wants to work for the railway. Sujata wants to do a well-paying job that involves typing while her father wants her to become a teacher at a school similar to Anandilal Poddar School. Nasreen is not sure of her plans yet, and her mother hopes she gets a good job in a field of her interest.

Me: How were you selected for admission into Maharani College?

Mr. Kamlesh (Interpreter): There was no special selection procedure as such. They were selected on the basis of their school’s scores. 1 per cent seats are now reserved for the deaf and mute in government colleges, and since the seats hadn’t been filled up, these girls were accepted.

Mr. Yogendra: It’s because many people aren’t aware of this. This results in many people dropping out of high school and not going forward with college level education.

Nasreen’s mother, her younger sister who’s a mute herself and Sujata’s father, were present at the time of the interview. Both girls’ parents were extremely happy that their daughters got into a college that provided them with facilities like hostel accommodation because it is hard to afford even a rented place in an expensive city like Jaipur.

Me: What superpowers do you possess?

Mr. Kamlesh jumped right in to answer on behalf of the girls.

Mr. Kamlesh: Many of our students are talented in arts. Usually, I have noticed that students like them are very determined and try to complete something they set their mind to. They also tend to catch on quick and have very strong memories.

Me: And what are your hobbies?

Mr. Kamlesh conveyed my question to them, and a smile appeared on Pooja’s face.

Pooja says that she enjoys arm wrestling while Khushboo likes to run and race. Nasreen and Sujata say that they enjoy playing badminton.

Me: Those are some great ways to reduce boredom. Where would you all like to travel?

Pooja says that she wants to visit the UK, while Khushboo wants to visit Saudi Arabia. Sujata wants to visit Mumbai while Nasreen wants to go to Ajmer and visit the Dargah.

Me: What books do you like to read?

Mr. Kamlesh: Teaching the subjects in their course is a complicated task in itself, and every word and symbol have to be explained to them. That’s why they cannot read any books outside the course.

The girls then said that they enjoy studying History and GK.

Mr. Kamlesh: At least 95 percent of our students have taken up GK as a subject. Besides this, we teach them other subjects like Fine Arts, Hindi and Political Science.

Mr. Kamlesh then told the girls my name in a sign which was just pointing to their eyes. *Sigh* my whole life is ironic. A girl named Drishti wears glasses.

Me: Lastly, who is your inspiration?

The girls say that their inspiration is Yogendra Sir. He and our other teachers have guided us to the right path.

Can I just say, AWWWWW!

Mr. Yogendra’s initiative has brought these girls so far, and they’ll soon pursue their dreams and have a regular life like us. Their school has also released a magazine that works like a matrimonial service for their students.

Like, I don’t even know how amazed I am.

After the interview, we went to click some pictures where Mr. Yogendra introduced us to the school’s principal Mr. Mahesh Wadhwani who guessed from my face that I was Sindhi. How? Well, I guess his Sindhi-dar (Sindhi Radar) had started functioning.

Anyway, these girls are ready to enter a new phase of their life, and we wish them all the best. Also, if you know someone who is deaf and mute and are looking for a good school, you can contact Mr. Yogendra at- 0091- 9461627191 

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