"if you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen
the side of the oppressor." - Desmond Tutu.

An award winning hearing-impaired Punjabi boy pens poem on COVID 19 Featured

 

Yashveer Goyal, who has established himself as a role model for the Indian youth in sports and Information Technology in spite of being born with a hearing disability, has now taken upon himself a mission to spread awareness about the coronavirus which has engulfed the entire world.

Twenty-year-old Goyal of Bathinda, Punjab has not only written a long poem to educate people to stay safe and be socially responsible, he has been going out to distribute flyers with a message on self-precautions.    

His poem notes that the coronavirus does not discriminate between the rich and the poor or between communities, and encourages everyone to fight it back jointly.

Goyal was born in 1999 into a modest family, to a journalist father, Chander Parkash. 

Parskash first noticed his hearing disability when the child remained unresponsive to the loud sounds of firecrackers in the neighbourhood on the night of Deewali- the Indian festival of lights.

Goyal's undeterred parents brought him up with lot of care despite many challenges. Young Goyal had to face discrimination in school in a conservative society where ostracizing of children with disabilities is very common. However, his parents made sure that he concentrated on education and extracurricular activities that helped him to master badminton and chess, besides Information Technology. 

After winning many championships and competitions in these fields, both at the provincial and higher level, Goyal was given a national award for the Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities in 2019 under the Role Model Hearing Impairments (Male) category.

Goyal, who also got a monetary award, has now decided to give back to the community in the time of crisis.

Parkash told Spice Radio that apart from raising awareness about COVID 19, his son is trying to help the poor and needy by buying them food and essential supplies.

He hopes that his son will inspire compassion and courage among the privileged youth who at times lose heart and try to indulge in substance abuse to overcome difficulties.

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Last modified on Tuesday, 07 April 2020 15:19
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