Thursday, May 02, 2013

My Interview in May 2013 Retina India Newsletter

Below is my interview  for May 2013 issue of Retina India newsletter.



Praise is a motivating force, most would say. But only few, like Vijayalakshmi, would convert even criticism into a driving force. When faced with isolation in school, she sought to be included by becoming an achiever in multiple curricular and co-curricular activities. When a teacher sought to scorn her aspiration to study among sighted peers in a regular school, Vijayalakshmi took it as a challenge to prove her teacher wrong. In a recent interview to a premier regional television channel, Vijayalakshmi said that she believes stumbling blocks need not limit one’s aspirations: “There are always ways to overcome obstacles; one only needs to look for them”. And through her own triumphs over tribulations, Vijayalakshmi  gives credence to this conviction.
Featured below are excerpts from an interview with this exceptional young woman, who was recently awarded the Brigade-Rotary special prize for young achievers. Vijayalakshmi, who is now pursuing a PhD in Music, has Master’s degrees in English Literature and Carnatic Music. She is a polyglot with working knowledge of five languages, and bridges the traditional and the contemporary with elan as an accomplished student of Sanskrit who uses the Internet to teach music to students across the globe through Sushravya, the school of music she has established.
Retina India (R.I.): Challenges come in various forms. Most people find it difficult to come to terms even with small setbacks. A few, like yourself, do not allow even the biggest barriers to hold them back. Where does your strength come from? Please tell us about your inspiration and your motivations.
Vijayalakshmi (Viji): If I have to talk about my inspiration and motivation, I should speak about my parents first, especially my mother, Mrs. Rukmini Varadharajan.
We belonged to a lower middle-class family, and there was nobody to support us both physically and financially at the time of my birth. My father was the only earning member with a small income. It was in this situation that I was diagnosed with RP [Retinitis Pigmentosa] at the age of one. Now, one can easily imagine what a big blow that would have been for my parents.
Many suggested that I should be put in a boarding school for special children as it would be difficult for my parents to bring me up in a conventional environment/ setting. My mother did not want this to happen. She took it as a challenge and taught me everything she could from my childhood. She told me inspirational stories to motivate me whenever I was tempted to give up.
She is a science graduate, and did B.Ed for my sake, to join my school as a teacher, to accompany me every day. She would read all my lessons aloud like a news reader after the school despite all discouragement from the people around, and many difficulties. When I joined college, she left her teaching job to take me to the college, and stayed there till I finished my classes and brought me home each day. She did the same when I did my computer courses as well.
Her sacrifices for my sake have been endless. My mother is my inspiration and motivation. She is my real strength. Whatever little I can do today is all because of her. All the credit goes to her. I’m just an instrument in her hands and she is the maker.
R.I : In common parlance, perception is often linked to being able to see physically. But philosophers tend to think of perception as something deeper…
Viji: Though I’m unable to see physically, I have a skill of imagination developed from childhood. Whenever someone explains to me about something, its color, its shape, size etc, I have an exact picture of it within my mind’s eye. Even when I haven’t touched a thing first, I’m often surprised to find that the picture in my mind’s eye is true about that particular thing after I happen to touch it subsequently. This skill has enabled me to do many complicated tasks very easily and efficiently: for example, cooking, wreathing flower garlands, household work like cleaning, washing etc.
I think learning music has also contributed a lot in this. It has helped me in differentiating between minute sounds and tones that even over phone if I hear a person’s voice once, I can identify the person even if he or she changes his her voice.
R.I : Sanskrit and Music are considered paths that lead to this deeper understanding of life and living. You have acquired scholarship in both these areas. Do you think this has helped you in any particular way? Are there any particular Sanskrit verses/ subhashita-s or musical compositions that have had a deep impact on you?
Viji: Learning Sanskrit has helped me in gaining good memory power and in the development of logical thinking and reasoning. Above all, both music and Sanskrit have given me peace of mind, which enables me work well and complete the given tasks successfully.
One of my all time favorite compositions is “sarvam bramhamayam” by Shri Sadashiva Bramhendra.
Whenever I need an answer for any question, I go to Bhagavath Geeta to find it I can affirm that I have got many convincing answers from it
Whenever I have an attack of laziness, or I am tempted by distractions, like watching T.V during studies or over-eating some favorite food etc. I often remember two subhashitas
1: “Alasyam hi manushyanam parama vairihi”
Meaning: Laziness is the greatest enemy of man.
2: “Vidyaarthi cheth tyageth sukham, sukhaarthi cheth tyageth vidya”
Meaning: If you are interested in knowledge, sacrifice sensual pleasures. But, if you are interested in sensual pleasures, sacrifice knowledge.
R.I : You have made excellent use of the opportunities presented by the Technology Age we live in to help your natural talents grow and bear fruit. Please tell us more about the experience of teaching a global student community.
Viji: Online teaching has always been a very good experience for me. Apart from sharing my musical knowledge with students, I also get good insight about different nations, their culture etc, which has in turn broadened my outlook about life in general, and in particular has made me feel proud of my own country and its culture.
As I’m fully equipped for this career, there is absolutely no necessity to reveal my eye condition to persons I’m working with and I definitely don’t want to do that myself as well. But after taking a few classes from me, all my NRI students are generally impressed and come to meet me in person during their vacation in India. My parents and I are glad to see them giving me more respect than before when they find me doing so well in spite of the challenge. These moments are especially delightful for my parents.
During the class sometimes when the students hear ‘Jaws’ speak, they think it is some cross talk by an American lad. These types of incidents often provide much amusement for us.
R.I : Do you find technology empowering in other ways as well? Are there any particular innovations in technology that you would like to have, or any areas where you feel technology lags behind and ought to do better?
Viji: Well, the Internet technology, as all of us are aware, is a powerhouse of knowledge and has left no subject untouched. Especially for me I would say it is a great boon, without which I could not have come up to this level. But I would like to take this opportunity to request the community at large to come up with more open source projects in different areas with special reference to empower people with special needs in order to make them independent and to make them as efficient as their able-bodied counterparts.
Note: You can listen to a concert rendering on Lord Shiva by Vijayalakshmi at the following Youtube link: http://youtu.be/ynduvJZGzxk and watch brief clips of sample classes in an interview that Vijayalakshmi gave to a regional Kannada language channel at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyPctYBYMts


 Interview link:


Under the title:
Crossover from eyesight to insight: An interview with an achiever - Vijayalakshmi Varadharajan speaks to inSIGHT


All Glories to God!