The story of Manthan: Cerebral palsy; supportive family, activists and lawyers; and a court Order to train as a doctor
Published on: 15 July 2023, 12:18 pm
This is the story of the steely resolve of Manthan, affected by cerebral palsy, his mother, determined to make him a doctor, and their journey against long odds to secure an admission into a medical college through the legal system.
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SOME victories are greater than others. They make you content.
The case of Manthan Sawai is one such instance that brought me irresistible joy. Although I refrain from publicising cases or their outcomes, the case of Manthan Sawai needs highlighting.
Manthan Sawai was born to a vegetable vendor in a small mining town in Vidarbha, Maharashtra. Shortly after birth, Manthan was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Due to the irreversibility of the condition, Manthan, his parents' first-born, was seen as a liability.
“Manthan was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Due to the irreversibility of the condition, Manthan, his parents' first-born, was seen as a liability.
Relatives bemoaned the fate of his parents, calling it a curse of the gods and a sin of their past lives. His homemaker mother was told to keep the child at home.
As for Manthan, the relatives called him a 'burden worth getting rid of'. With a hand-to-mouth existence and nothing to fall back on, the future seemed bleak for the family.
But Manthan's parents loved their child. Like most parents, they resolved to give him the best possible life that they could provide. They would not let his serious disability affect their affection or the chances he got in life.