Dr P Hanumantha Rao, a Padma Shri awardee and founder-chairman of the Sweekaar Academy of Rehabilitation Sciences (SARS), has the rare distinction of serving millions of people with special needs for over four decades, regardless of the obstacles at various stages. In an interview with The Pioneer’s Deepika Pasham, he observes: “I am a sailor sailing my boat across the current in a strong wind. A lot of people came and tried to disturb my work”. Still, he has passionately served 85.75 lakh persons with disabilities for 46 years now. He leaves no stone unturned when it comes to reaching out to uncared-for sections of society, while conducting screening programmes in schools and colleges, slums, rural and urban areas as well as private and government offices.
A calm child
As a child I was calm, composed, and very mild. Even during my medical college years, I was very calm. But later, I became aggressive because I had to fight battles. I have had to take on a lot of evil forces from college life until now. For instance, I had constructed the Sweekaar Academy of Rehabilitation Sciences (SARS) building in the hope that sanction would come, but it did not come. The total area of the building is 10,000 square feet and a notice for its demolition was issued 15 years after its construction.
Self-nomination for Padma Shri clicked
I had applied five times via the recommendation route for Padma Shri but was not selected. This year, one day before the submission deadline, I nominated myself and was selected. The Home Ministry called me to congratulate me. They asked me if I would accept this award. I said ‘yes’.
Did not wanted to become another engineer
For me, becoming a doctor had been a dream since childhood and so I could achieve it. However, becoming a child specialist was not my cup of tea. I wanted to become a physician. But God had a different plan for me. In those days, we never knew anything apart from engineering or MBBS and I did not want to become another engineer from my family.
Ugadi coincidence
A coincidence is that Sweekaar was established on March 19, 1977, which was Ugadi and the Padma Shri award was given to me on March 22, 2023, again on Ugadi. This Padma
Shri is the 7th award I received from the President of India in my lifetime, but only this award brought me much recognition.
Remembering YSR
If (former chief minister of combined Andhra Pradesh) YS Rajashekar Reddy were alive, he would have supported us. For 17 years, I had managed three campuses, which ultimately pushed me into a liability of Rs 25 crore. Thereafter, I had to shut down all the campuses. I sold even my mother’s jewellery. My wife and my children also sacrificed a lot for my success. After the Padma Shri award was announced, I went and felicitated all my friends and well-wishers because they have encouraged me in taking this mission forward.
Family
My wife is also a doctor — a child specialist. I have two daughters, of which the younger
one, Dr Namratha Rao, is a developmental paediatrician. Her husband works as a paediatric neurologist, both based out of Hyderabad. The elder daughter is a fashion designer, and her
husband is from the same profession. They are currently settled in Melbourne, Australia.
Looking for a social partner
I have a dream of setting up a university of rehabilitation sciences. A couple of organisations are negotiating with us. I have told them that I am not the owner, but only a ‘karta’ or custodian of the organisation. Nothing belongs to me. I am looking for a social partner. I will join them on the governing body and give them cheque power so that they remain satisfied with what is happening. If this university comes up, it will be one of its kind in the world. So far, Sweekaar has turned out 8,700 professionals without government aid.
Declined government job
In 1975, there were hardly any facilities to serve the disabled. Declining a government job, which was much sought-after those days, and leaving my lucrative practice, I went to Bombay and underwent special training in rehabilitation medicine at the All-India Institute of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and completed Ph D in Rehabilitation psychology.
The award day
The Government of India has given me so much respect to the Padma awardees. They have cared for every small detail of all the awardees. They gave us a vehicle for three days, which made our stay comfortable. They took a picture of us along with our awards and tweeted it also. Prime Minister Narendra Modi met not just the awardees but also our families. I took my grandson to the ceremony where the Prime Minister interacted with him.
First clinic at garage
In 1977, I founded a special school for intellectually impaired children in my garage. A part of it had a clinic. With five children and two special teachers, it was named The Hyderabad Special School for Children in need of special care. As the services expanded, to increase awareness about the disability and to include other services, the name was changed to Sweekaar Academy of Rehabilitation Sciences.
Teacher’s contribution
My schoolteacher, late Jagadishwara Chary, would donate Rs 1 lakh to me every year. I studied in the Mufeed-ul-Anam High School located in the Old City of Hyderabad. Another such person is Dr Anand Raj Varma, who was the principal and lecturer of Anwarul Uloom College. These are the people who are responsible for moulding me and shaping my journey.
Sweekaar’s 1st teacher
One cannot make any situation 100 per cent normal but at least one can wipe the tears of some people. That is happiness for me. Keshavulu, a Telugu man working in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, was the first teacher we had in Sweekaar.
AWARDS GALORE FROM PRESIDENTS, VICE PRESIDENTS OF INDIA
Plethora of awards
I received Dr BC Roy Award in 1995. I have received National Awards from the President seven times till date. I have received nine international awards as well as 56 other awards from private institutions and the state government.
Quick bytes
How do you describe yourself?
I have been a fighter in life since my adult years.
Favourite food: Mostly vegetarian.
Religious or spiritual: There is spirituality only when there is religion.
Vacation: Travelled around the world, now planning to go to Kazakhstan.
