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Empathy matters
IT WAS 6.20 p.m. on November 2. The AVM Rajeshwari Hall, Mylapore was filled to capacity with young men and women, eager for the programme to begin.
They conversed with each other in their own special language till Suman Chakravarthy and Sunny Lynne went up on stage to announce the start of the function. It was the valedictory ceremony of the International Week of the Deaf, 2001.
Almost all the persons in the hall had a hearing impairment. The two people on stage — Chakravarthy and Lynne, were coordinators from the Voice to the Deaf Foundation, an organisation committed to helping youth with impaired hearing all over Tamil Nadu through its courses and job placement assistance. An entertaining series of performances by the students convincingly proved that art is a universal language. Three groups danced to music and it was amazing that they had only the count in their heads for synchronisation. The Voice of Silence — the Deaf Theatre Group of Voice to the Deaf, staged two comic mimes. A multimedia presentation of the activities Voice to the Deaf followed. Throughout the programme, sign language was used by Suman Chakravarthy to communicate with the audience. The stark reality is that since this impairment is not obvious as other handicaps, there is a tendency to shrug it off. What is needed is a greater understanding of their deeds; not sympathy but empathy, and inspiration to dream on.
HARINI RAJAGOPAL
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