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Writer's picturegauresh panchal

Father's Love, Unseen Dedication



Abandoned By Wife, Rajesh Kareliya Leaves Family To Raise His Son, Shyam

Rajesh is a father who assumed the role of both father and mother for his son when his wife left him, unable to cope with the strain of bringing up a deaf, dumb, blind and mentally challenged child. Rajesh Kareliya, 38, refused to abandon his son Shyam; instead, he chose to break off from his family which wanted him to get rid of the ‘burden’.


Rajesh’s diminutive figure belies his steely resolve and gives no sign of the struggle he has waged over the past 14 years to raise his kid with multiple disabilities.


“Shyam was born in 1994 and we soon realized that he was different – his eyes did not move, nor did he respond to our calls. When we took Shyam to the doctors, they said that my son was blind and deaf. After a while, we got to know that he may also be suffering from mental disability and that it could prove a hurdle in his learning anything,” said Rajesh.


Four years after Shyam’s birth, Rajesh’s wife left him as she feared that the next child with him may also have similar disabilities. After this, pressure mounted on him to abandon Shyam.


“My family asked me to marry again but I refused as I feared that the new wife would also not be sympathetic to Shyam’s condition. It did not go down well with my parents and relatives who asked me either to abandon Shyam or leave the house. I chose the latter,” he said.


Taking an infant Shyam with him, Rajesh left his fabrication unit; his family has in Byculla at Mumbai and found his foothold in Vapi where he started working in a factory. Due to his disabilities, Shyam always accompanied him. It was tough for Rajesh to educate his son or train him in performing routine tasks.


It was for a better future for his son that Rajesh came to Ahmedabad and enrolled Shyam at Blind People’s Association (BPA). Bhushan Punani, executive director, BPA, told TOI that he has seen few fathers leaving all for their children’s education. “Today Shyam has started responding to sound and physical cues, but his support system remains his father who plays the role of his mother as well,” Punani said.


Rajesh says that Shyam had made his world complete. “A touch from him takes away all my worries. He has become a bit aggressive with age and becomes agitated quickly. But I know that he loves me beyond everything else and affirms this in whatever ways he can,” Kareliya said.

​​I found a card with this quote in my Father's Diary......


On the back of this card he wrote :

How can I get this guiding light ...?

"Ohh....! why should I worry for this...? I am a Son of That Almighty....He takes care of all. He is a guiding light for me."


He wrote this because he lost his father(my grandfather) at the age of 1.5 year. He had never seen his father, not even in photographs......And the whole life he lived with utmost good faith in God, with total spirituality.

~gauresh

 









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