Portraits of courage

doweshowbellyad=0; Hari Ram Kohli paints with a brush in mouth (TOI Photo)Hari Ram Kohli paints with a brush in mouth; Lata Landge draws with her feet.
They may not be blessed like you and me, but their disability doesn’t stop them from giving expression to their creativity. In fact, they have overcome their disability in the face of insurmountable odds to make a new beginning in their life.
And a very colourful one at that.Hari Ram Kohli, an ex-Indian Air Force instructor was a normal human being until he met with an accident on December 16, 1972. While performing a somersault during his Inter Squadron Meet, he fell on his neck and was paralysed for life.
Explains he of his harrowing days, “I was so depressed then that I asked the doctors to kill me. The thought of depending on others almost killed me. My state was miserable.” But a chance meeting with a Captain not only changed his outlook, but also brought a newfound hope in his life. “During my treatment period, I met Captain Shakuntala, who gave me the idea of painting by holding a brush in my mouth,” he adds.
Kohli took the advice seriously and started writing with a pen in his mouth. After mastering it, he began painting with a brush. And there was no looking back after that. “I’m associated with an NGO, Mouth and Foot Painting Artists Association (MFPA), which helps me survive and earn money through my paintings,” says Kohli with a smile.
Similarly, Lata Landge, another artist who paints with her feet, says, “I was born without arms.” But her disability didn’t deter Lata, who hails from a lower middle class family, from completing her education. “I did my MA (Master of Arts) and I’m earning now with the help of my paintings. I also paint greeting cards,” says she.
Lata’s father works as a watchman and she has five siblings to take care of. “I’m the eldest of them all, and my parents expect a lot from me, as I’m the only one educated in my family. No matter what the pain I have to go through, I have to help my family grow. Today they are proud that I’m their daughter,” says a proud Lata.
Explains Girish Kabra, director, MFPA, India, about these artists and their art, “No normal human being can paint the way these artists do. Altogether 14 artists are associated with MFPA, and we are in search of more people like them. Our aim is to make them independent.” He adds further, “Physically able or disabled, we are all the same on the inside.
All of us have similar aspirations and expectations from life, but what makes us different is the way we live our life. And the attitude with which we play the game called life.”
Certainly, their success can set an example to many able-bodied people from taking up a new life.