Documentary Photography – Disabled Limb Makers Helping The Disabled In Eastern India
Patients, like Krishna Dutta here, interact with the fellow patients to not only exchange their tragedies, but also learn new lessons of a brighter future: a means to achieve mental solace along with its physical counterpart.
Photographer Abhijit Chakraborty is the Edge of Humanity Magazine contributor of this documentary photography. From his project ‘Determination on the move‘. To see Abhijit’s gallery of projects click on any image.
People who have lost their legs in an accident, and are undergoing treatment, come to this hospital often for routine check-ups.
Amrit Lal Saroj, a resident of Bihar, has lost many of his body parts… but he has not lost his faith and he does all his work by himself today.
Dozens of physically challenged people in Kolkata are engaged in designing and making artificial limbs for fellow physically challenged people from entire Eastern India. Since the past three decades, Mahavir Seva Sadan (MSS), a self help group that employs around thirty such people. It’s under the Jaipur-based Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti (BMVSS), world’s largest organization for helping the handicapped. Built on a sensitive, humane and “patient-first” social philosophy and value system, the foremost concern of Mahavir Seva Sadan is that the dignity and self-respect of patients that must be maintained or enhanced at all costs. The documentation is an intense observation of life of people the primary parts of whose body for moving have been replaced by artificial ones. On one hand it is a story of despair, hope, sadness all together, on the other: an opportunity to look forward to a new, brave beginning…
Despite losing his one leg, Munna, a 4 and half year old boy, is so spirited, that anybody can take a lesson from him.
A tiny girl is helping her Grandmother. Patients here are intimated to various walking exercises, as a mode of encouragement and procedure so that they begin to walk freely sooner. The atmosphere is quite conducive to encouragements and boosts of this sort.
People from different backgrounds have turned to the Mahavir Seva Sadan when they have lost one foot by any kind of accident or mishap, much like Sankar Prasad Barman. People are there who, for the last few decades, are doing their share of job in making artificial limbs. This is quite satisfactory for them to serve people who are facing the same challenges.
People who have suffered from the physical affliction visit this place from all over the country. Distance never plays a deterrent factor here.
Mamata Manna lost her palms and right foot in early childhood. But enjoying her work in a Primary School at Haldia, West Bengal. Her Husband Salil is quite happy as well as proud of her. Hope is never lost from any one member of family, or the patient for that matter. Mamata here has been receiving the unconditional support from her husband Salil.
In India thousands of people still lose limbs every year. Polio is all but eradicated but industrial and traffic accidents are common, and in remote villages, access to medical care is limited. And mobility is crucial in a developing economy like India’s. Men who cannot work are seen as a burden on their families. Women missing limbs are less likely to be married. Thus the service offered by this Kolkata organisation is extremely helpful for these very people, who are an extremely important part of our society.
In this world, there are many winners who defeated physical disabilities. The realization that myriad others exist should substantiate our position as to how lucky we are; and shouldn’t blame our bad luck for not doing that well financially. It’s ungratefully forgotten how lucky we are in having everything that nature has given us. This is the reason why the photographer was drawn to the subject.
