A symbol of the indomitable human spirit, Dr S Tarsem of Malerkotla
has overcome visual impairment to emerge a triumph, rising well above
most of his sighted peers. A prolific and multiple-award winning author
of prose and poetry, he is also a distinguished scholar-teacher of
Punjabi, Hindi and Urdu.
What makes this achiever an extraordinary precedent of crushing despair and shattering stereotypes is that Dr Tarsem has not even learnt Braille, the tactile writing and reading system for the blind.
Just how has a man with an erased vision for the last four decades sailed through the adversities to become a full and happy participant in life? His soon-to-be-published autobiography could throw a light.
Titled “Kalam te Kalaam’, the book chronicles the illuminating career, with its many blessings and challenges, of the 71-year-old retired professor from Government Post-graduate College, Malerkotla.
“I remember how I was ready to be brushed aside for the post of lecturer given my disability during the interview. I promptly stood up and gave a demonstration. The panel was awestruck but impressed, and I was selected for the post,” he shares.
In class, his students read and he explained. During assessment, his helper read and he marked the answer sheets. For his writing, he dictated and his assistant wrote.
“It was never smooth. Many a times, I came under fire from some colleagues who questioned my merit for the job given my disability, but the management always replied that they had no reason to sack me. I was a star lecturer, and a favourite of the students,” says he.
To be published by Sangam Publications, the book is expected to be released within a month.
“My book is not a personal account of loss and triumph. I will serve as an empowering tool for the blind. It will advise them on ways to overcome their disability and gift them motivation,” says Dr Tarsem.
Born in the small town of Tapa Mandi in Barnala, Dr Tarsem was a
normal child who took joy in looking everything around until he fell
prey to a genetic disease that killed his sight gradually, rendering him
complete blind by the time he turned 30.
Interestingly, it was after eight years of dealing with the visual challenge that Dr Tarsem enrolled for the M.A. degree, for better career prospects. He went on to complete Masters in Hindu, Urdu and Punjabi, and eventually earned his Ph.D. in Punjabi literature at the age of 45.
A ranker throughout, he was the first among the 200 candidates selected by Punjab Public Service Commission in 1983 for the position of lecturer.
Besides penning over 20 books in Hindi and Punjabi including six short story ones, five books of Ghazals and poetry, five proses and six criticisms, he has been bringing out a Punjabi quarterly magazine Nazria for nearly a decade and a Hindi-Punjabi magazine The Bindu since 1995.
Winner of several state, national and international literary awards including Shiromani Punjabi Sahitkar award 2000 from the Punjab Government, Dr Tarsem has also been the General Secretary of Punjab Welfare Association for the Blind for three decades.
What makes this achiever an extraordinary precedent of crushing despair and shattering stereotypes is that Dr Tarsem has not even learnt Braille, the tactile writing and reading system for the blind.
Just how has a man with an erased vision for the last four decades sailed through the adversities to become a full and happy participant in life? His soon-to-be-published autobiography could throw a light.
Titled “Kalam te Kalaam’, the book chronicles the illuminating career, with its many blessings and challenges, of the 71-year-old retired professor from Government Post-graduate College, Malerkotla.
“I remember how I was ready to be brushed aside for the post of lecturer given my disability during the interview. I promptly stood up and gave a demonstration. The panel was awestruck but impressed, and I was selected for the post,” he shares.
In class, his students read and he explained. During assessment, his helper read and he marked the answer sheets. For his writing, he dictated and his assistant wrote.
“It was never smooth. Many a times, I came under fire from some colleagues who questioned my merit for the job given my disability, but the management always replied that they had no reason to sack me. I was a star lecturer, and a favourite of the students,” says he.
To be published by Sangam Publications, the book is expected to be released within a month.
“My book is not a personal account of loss and triumph. I will serve as an empowering tool for the blind. It will advise them on ways to overcome their disability and gift them motivation,” says Dr Tarsem.
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| Prakash Singh Badal presenting Sharomani Sahitkar award to Dr.S.Tarsem in 2000. |
Interestingly, it was after eight years of dealing with the visual challenge that Dr Tarsem enrolled for the M.A. degree, for better career prospects. He went on to complete Masters in Hindu, Urdu and Punjabi, and eventually earned his Ph.D. in Punjabi literature at the age of 45.
A ranker throughout, he was the first among the 200 candidates selected by Punjab Public Service Commission in 1983 for the position of lecturer.
Besides penning over 20 books in Hindi and Punjabi including six short story ones, five books of Ghazals and poetry, five proses and six criticisms, he has been bringing out a Punjabi quarterly magazine Nazria for nearly a decade and a Hindi-Punjabi magazine The Bindu since 1995.
Winner of several state, national and international literary awards including Shiromani Punjabi Sahitkar award 2000 from the Punjab Government, Dr Tarsem has also been the General Secretary of Punjab Welfare Association for the Blind for three decades.
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