By: Ahmad Shabir
Anantnag: Five months after her birth, parents of Tahzeeba Hilal observed that their daughter was not following the objects properly. They got worried and sought consultation of the doctor.
After examination and thorough investigations, doctors diagnosed that her retina was not functioning and made it clear to her parents that she won’t be able to see.
Worried about their daughter, her parents took her to almost all the major eye hospitals of the country. However, they returned disappointed from everywhere.
After realizing that their daughter has to live with the blindness, the helpless and hopeless parents decided not to at least deprive her from education.
Tahzeeba was admitted in a local school where she studied upto class 5th. During the years of her primary schooling, her parents ensured that she does not face any harm going to school and back home.
Though there was no Brail method or specially trained teachers for blind students available in the school, Tahzeeba studied and learnt through oral teaching only.
Since she was facing many difficulties in learning in the absence of Brail method, her parents shifted her to Zeba Apa Institute of inclusive education (ZAIIE) Bijbehara where specially-abled children are imparted education by the trained teachers.
At ZAIIE, Tahzeeba learnt Brail system and completed her elementary education.
For secondary education, she was admitted in a private higher secondary school Awantipora. Now that Tahzeeba had learnt to study through Brail method, her difficulties eased to learn and memorise lessons in class 9 and 10.
On Wednesday, Tahzeeba passed her class 10 exam with 90 percent marks filling the hearts of her parents with joy. She secured 450 marks out of 500.
Tahzeeba wants to crack UPSC and serve the society in administrative field.
“I have never let my spirit and passion for studies die due to my blindness. Since my aim to crack IAS, I have decided to choose arts subjects. I am hopeful about my dream come true,” Tahzeeba told Precious Kashmir.
Besides her passion for higher studies, Tahzeeba also has joined a seminary to memorise Quran.
“It will be a one year course to memorise Quran and after that my entire focus will be on the realisation of my dream that is to qualify UPSC,” Tahzeeba said.
Tahzeeba is also teaching many blind students through online mode.
“I have also decided to help and support other blind students as nobody else can understand their plight misery better than me. Now that I am trained in Brail system and I don’t want other students with blindness to face the same difficulties in their learning as I faced in the initial years of my schooling. I am teaching at least 15 students online using Brail method,” Tahzeeba said.
A resident of Awantipora, Tahzeeba father, Hilal Ahmad works at Islamic University of Science and Technology.
