JOIN USVisually impaired and abandoned at 5, this Maths genius has an IAS dream
Abandoned by his family when barely five, visually impaired Siddu S Loute stood no chance in a world without empathy.
But he fought enormous odds, developed an interest in mathematics, memorised tables up to 99 crore to excel in a school that he struggled to be a part of. Years later, a unique crowdfunding initiative is now on to help Siddu realise his dream: To be an IAS officer!
For Siddu’s family, struggling to make ends meet in a small village in Karnataka, he was a burden.
Dumped, he roamed cluelessly until someone put him in a hostel attached to the Government School for the Blind. “I was too weak, I could not speak to anyone,” he recalled.
It was then that he noticed how another boy in Class 7 impressed everyone with his ability to recite 100 mathematical tables. “I thought why I too can’t do it. Mocked and beaten frequently by my classmates, ignored by my teachers, I then chose to put all my efforts in mathematics.”
His perseverance paid off. By the time he stepped into 2nd standard, Siddu had memorised 56 lakh tables. “My teachers were condescending. But once they quizzed me with calculators, they realised I had talent.”
Yet, that Herculean effort did not make life better for Siddu. Although he bettered his marks in all other subjects, his ability in maths was only used to ‘showcase’ his school. Awards and honours aplenty came his way. “Big people donated money for me. But that never reached me,” lamented Siddu.
Landing in Bengaluru, he even had to beg to pursue his academics. Braving tough conditions, he completed his pre-university schooling and eventually bagged a seat in the five-year LLM course in M S Ramaiah College. But civil services continues to be his enduring ambition.
“I feel I can deliver as a civil servant, since I have gone through those struggles. I can understand the pain.”
Siddu’s IAS preparation now banks on getting a Braille Printer that costs around Rs 2 lakh and other study materials. But the high cost of the equipment has been a big obstacle.
Through the social crowdfunding platform, Impact Guru, he could raise a part of the total funds. Siddu could be contacted at siddusloute@gmail.com