CHENNAI: The musty scent of old books wafts through the air as the students’ fingers wander through the braille texts in a tranquil library. The silence is palpable, broken only by the occasional rustle of pages or soft murmurs of comprehension, as they await the gentle guidance of their instructor’s voice. Something that enchants them, weaving a spell of discovery and wonder.
For nine long years, R Velmurugan, a visually impaired teacher, has struggled to pass the PG Teachers’ Recruitment Board examination. Velmurugan, who is now a postgraduate history teacher at the Government Higher Secondary School in Sivakalai, Thoothukudi is now paying it forward by guiding blind students at the Braille section of the Anna Centenary Library, helping them crack competitive examinations and pursue their academic goals.
The library is the very place he frequented for all these years before passing the examination and being appointed as a history teacher two years ago. He conducts special guidance classes for the visually challenged students in the Anna Centenary Library.
Despite his remarkable achievement, Velmurugan’s blindness becomes a hurdle to his career as his teachings are always found under multiple layers of scrutiny. He has to prove himself at different levels as the performance of his students is directly linked with his visual challenge. Despite the scrutiny, he says, these have been the happiest two years of his life. “When you are disabled, all you want is to ensure that you can take care of yourself. Having a stable job is an important part of that,” he says.
Velmurugan’s inspiring journey to become a teacher was far from easy. Born to agricultural labourers in Usarathu Kudiyirupu in Thoothukudi district, he joined class 1 only when he was nine years old. Before enrolling in the BA History program at Pachaiyappa’s College in 2009-10, he attended various schools for disabled persons in Nagercoil, Kanniyakumari, Madurai, and Palayamkottai.
“There were no special schools near my village due to which I had to stay in hostels throughout my childhood. My parents, being agricultural workers, were not aware of special schools and did not enrol me into one. It was only when a local teacher, Thomas, became my guiding angel. He asked my parents to enrol me in a school when I was nine years old,” Velmurugan recalls.
Deeply affected by the lack of awareness that was a hindrance in his own education, Velmurugan has also worked with an NGO to raise awareness about enrolling visually-impaired girls in schools early.
“Many students in special schools join late, so I didn’t feel any different when I was in school. However, when I joined college, I was older than many of the students. I have been involved in creating awareness about educating these children in more than five districts,” he adds.
Throughout his journey, it was Velmurugan’s teachers, who became a role model for him. “I wanted to be like my teachers, which is why I chose this profession. I had the support of several great professors at Pachaiyappa’s College, where I completed my bachelors and masters,” he says with a glint in his eyes.
Velmurugan reminisces about his days as a student when he used to visit the Anna Centenary Library. He once formed a WhatsApp group with his fellow batchmates, who were also preparing for exams. “I was the only blind person in that group, and they never made me feel left out. During my free hours, I would also take online tuitions to earn money,” Velmurugan says.
The history teacher also urges the state government to fill the backlog vacancies under the 4% reservation in government jobs provided for disabled persons. “This would help several educated disabled persons to get government jobs and feel stability in their life,” Velmurugan concludes.
