<p>Cheering for team India led by M S Dhoni in the cricket World Cup comes naturally to Delhi University teacher Nitin Malhotra as he listens to the radio commentary. <br /><br /></p>.<p>“I have never seen the tricolour but it is always in my heart, like all Indian fans,” said Nitin Malhotra, 30, who is blind.<br /><br />He and his sister Yamini, 28, who too is blind and a teacher in Delhi University, have set standards for others by doing their bit for creating a friendly environment for the visually impaired.<br /><br />“Disability is not incapability. Rather, a disabled person is one who has different and special needs,” said Malhotra who overcame odds to became a Political Science professor in Delhi University’s Kalindi College.<br /><br />Yamini, 28, Malhotra’s sister, is teaching at the Delhi University’s Vivekanand College. Both campaign for the rights of the visually impaired, joining hands with NGO Sambhavana.<br /><br />“People have different perception about differently abled persons,” said Malhotra, recalling the challenges he faced in his journey from Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh to the college in Delhi. <br /><br />“We want to help others by creating a friendly environment for the disabled people by eliminating physiological and physical barriers in the society,” said Malhotra, who is married to low-vision Aarti, who is pursuing PhD in Hindi and wishes to teach Hindi in Delhi University. <br /><br />Malhotra said his triumph over disability would not have been possible without the encouragement from his parents.<br /><br />“Nobody expected me to become a professor,” he said, adding that his parents came to know about his blindness when he was six-month-old.<br /><br />He did his schooling from Delhi Public School, Vasant Vihar, and graduated from Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Khalsa College in Political Science.<br /><br />Malhotra, who is now pursuing a PhD on the accessibility policy for the disabled, wants to change the mindset of the people towards the physically challenged.<br /><br />“People ignore us, thinking that we are good for nothing. Even educated people have the same perception,” said Malhotra.<br /><br />“Like most Indians, I am also fond of cricket,” he said.<br /><br />“I cannot play and see cricket matches but am fond of listening to the commentary,” he said. In his free time, Malhotra enjoys Sonu Nigam’s songs.<br /><br />He cannot watch movies, but he can feel the difference between Hollywood and Bollywood cinema. <br /><br />“Bollywood movies are more emotional. These have a lot of background music for human appeal while Hollywood films are more action oriented and have light music and more dialogues,” he said.<br /><br />Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan is a favourite. “The Big-B has a soothing voice while King (Shah Rukh) Khan’s voice has intensity,” he said.<br /><br /><br />Malhotra has a message for the physically challenged: “Never give up and keep trying harder for success.”</p>
<p>Cheering for team India led by M S Dhoni in the cricket World Cup comes naturally to Delhi University teacher Nitin Malhotra as he listens to the radio commentary. <br /><br /></p>.<p>“I have never seen the tricolour but it is always in my heart, like all Indian fans,” said Nitin Malhotra, 30, who is blind.<br /><br />He and his sister Yamini, 28, who too is blind and a teacher in Delhi University, have set standards for others by doing their bit for creating a friendly environment for the visually impaired.<br /><br />“Disability is not incapability. Rather, a disabled person is one who has different and special needs,” said Malhotra who overcame odds to became a Political Science professor in Delhi University’s Kalindi College.<br /><br />Yamini, 28, Malhotra’s sister, is teaching at the Delhi University’s Vivekanand College. Both campaign for the rights of the visually impaired, joining hands with NGO Sambhavana.<br /><br />“People have different perception about differently abled persons,” said Malhotra, recalling the challenges he faced in his journey from Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh to the college in Delhi. <br /><br />“We want to help others by creating a friendly environment for the disabled people by eliminating physiological and physical barriers in the society,” said Malhotra, who is married to low-vision Aarti, who is pursuing PhD in Hindi and wishes to teach Hindi in Delhi University. <br /><br />Malhotra said his triumph over disability would not have been possible without the encouragement from his parents.<br /><br />“Nobody expected me to become a professor,” he said, adding that his parents came to know about his blindness when he was six-month-old.<br /><br />He did his schooling from Delhi Public School, Vasant Vihar, and graduated from Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Khalsa College in Political Science.<br /><br />Malhotra, who is now pursuing a PhD on the accessibility policy for the disabled, wants to change the mindset of the people towards the physically challenged.<br /><br />“People ignore us, thinking that we are good for nothing. Even educated people have the same perception,” said Malhotra.<br /><br />“Like most Indians, I am also fond of cricket,” he said.<br /><br />“I cannot play and see cricket matches but am fond of listening to the commentary,” he said. In his free time, Malhotra enjoys Sonu Nigam’s songs.<br /><br />He cannot watch movies, but he can feel the difference between Hollywood and Bollywood cinema. <br /><br />“Bollywood movies are more emotional. These have a lot of background music for human appeal while Hollywood films are more action oriented and have light music and more dialogues,” he said.<br /><br />Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan is a favourite. “The Big-B has a soothing voice while King (Shah Rukh) Khan’s voice has intensity,” he said.<br /><br /><br />Malhotra has a message for the physically challenged: “Never give up and keep trying harder for success.”</p>
