Besides knocking on various doors for a government job, paralympic athlete Prashant Kumar Sinha has also been writing to both the Central and Jharkhand governments for the past 11 years, but in vain.
In the Capital this past week to meet Union Ministers to help him get a government job, the 32-year-old began his journey from Jharkhand’s Jamshedpur in 1998 when he decided to make badminton his passion.
Financially dependent
Suffering from cerebral palsy, Prashant has an impressive haul of 10 gold, six silver and seven bronze medals in Special Olympics and Paralympics held in the late 1990s. Since he wasn’t able to get private job either, he is financially dependent on his grandfather and mother.
He lamented: “Medals do not put food on the table. I quit studying after school in the hope that I would be able to lead a respectable life as a sportsperson. I have trained myself without government aid or sponsorship, but had hoped that the government would help me in my time of need. After all, I have made my country proud.”
He met Sports Minister Vijay Goel, Textile Minister Smriti Irani and Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi.
“Mr. Goel promised to help me. Since this struggle has been on for the past 11 years, I am not sure if anything will come out of the meeting.”
Prashant used to play cricket before taking up badminton. He switched after his coaches advised him to. “I felt miserable at first. Then I decided to excel in some sport. That is how I got into badminton.”
M.S. Dhoni
Juxtaposing his condition with that of another athlete from his State — cricketer M.S. Dhoni — Prashant said the treatment of other sports stars is shabby. “This is particularly true in the case of a differently-abled person. Ninety percent of my teammates who went for regular Olympics have been provided a source of income. The country doesn’t respect differently-abled people at all.”
In 2015, the Jharkhand government gave him a grant of Rs.1 lakh. “I receive a meagre pension of Rs.600 per month under the State government’s Swami Vivekanand Disability Scheme. The grant of Rs.1 lakh came after my protest against the inadequate pension.”
Swati Mitra, his mentor and software consultant, said: “He is losing hope as the government is not giving him his due. He wanted to pursue sports and start a badminton academy for people with special needs. However, this may only remain a dream.”
(The writer is an Intern with The Hindu)
