The Pride of India in Paralympics: Devendra Jhajhariya
I don’t remember a day in my life where I didn’t wonder how one may serve the country most profoundly. Are the doctors the most important people, or the ones who are protecting us every single day on the border? Are the entrepreneurs the most important people by helping the economy, or the labourers who actually do the groundwork?
Being a psychiatrist myself, I am naturally curious about how people can be the happiest and how they can find inspiration in their everyday life. I have met many people who have inspired me in some way or the other. But if I have to choose one man who has helped me the most to find an answer, it would be my friend cum brother, Devendra Jhajharia.
The Iconic Life of Devendra Jhajharia
On 10th June 1981, an able kid was born in the Churu District of Rajasthan. He was indeed one of the most mischievous ones out there. That’s how he met the tragedy of his life. I still shudder whenever he tells me about that incident.
He was an eight-year-old who was like any other kid, enthusiastic about everything. He used to climb trees all the time then, and that’s when unknowingly, he touched an 11,000-volt cable. He immediately lost consciousness. The moment the villagers came and tried to help him get down, they were all rest assured that he was dead. He was lying still while his colour was pale, and his face didn’t represent his earlier self at all. They took him to the doctor, and he stated after the examination of his state that they might have to amputate his left arm to save his life.
Let us jump to the Tokyo Paralympics for a moment now. Devendra Jhajharia, the two times gold medal winner, is preparing for this prestigious event. He hasn’t skipped a day in his training. There is a shine in his eyes that conveys that he is dying to hit a hattrick in the Paralympics with three gold medals. His eyes are focused, and that’s what he is thinking about at that moment. That’s when he gets a call from his home, and he picks it up curiously. After a few seconds, he shuts the call in panic and looks at nothing in particular with absolute horror in his eyes. His father has cancer, and there isn’t much hope for him to survive.
Both of these instances can break any smiling person at once, whether it is about the thought of losing a part of yourself or the thought of losing a loved one. That is an absolute horror for me at least, and I wonder how people like Devendra still manage to smile after those instances. And that’s what I see whenever I meet him, a smiling face with humility in his eyes.
During situations like these, we all hope for the best. But sometimes, hope betrays us. And in his case, both of the time, hope betrayed him. Not only did he lose his left arm, but also his father just before the main event of the Tokyo Paralympics.
Smile
I have asked him so many times how he managed to get out of those phases, and he just smiles. That’s what he does! He believes life always has better plans for you, and you can’t even imagine what those plans are. If he hadn’t lost his arm that day, he wouldn’t have created history.
During his childhood, children didn’t want him to play with them because of the tragedy. His parents still persuaded him to go out and play. They didn’t want him to close himself down or feel bad about himself. So that’s when he decided that he wanted to become the best in that one particular game and be better than the ones who discriminated against him.
So that’s what he did. He picked up the Javelin and threw it until he became the best. He broke the previous record of 59.77m by creating a world record of 62.15m in the Athens 2004 Paralympics. And then he had to wait for 12 years until F46 Javelin Throw was reintroduced in the Rio 2016 Paralympics. He didn’t skip a day of training in those 12 years, and the result was exactly as marvellous as before. He broke his own previous record with a throw of 63.97m.
I still feel proud when I think about that.
Courage
While holding a Javelin in his hand after five years in 2021 in front of the crowd, he couldn’t help but remember his father and his last words. He wanted Devendra to do his best this time as well.
That’s how he sprinted ahead and threw the javelin. But he barely crossed 60m this time. All of our eyes were focused on the T.V., and I had complete faith in him. He still had two more chances. Well, he went again, and this time also, he could barely cross the 60M mark. His wife couldn’t see any more of it. She left that place, and everyone in the village was feeling hopeless including me. And then he tried again the third time. Everyone’s heartbeats were uncontrollable, but this time for good. This time, Devendra broke his previous record and reached 64.35M and grabbed the silver medal for the nation. It was a tumultuous incident everywhere in the village. His wife ran back after listening to all the noises of celebration and became a part of it. Could there be a happier moment?
His wife, Manju, is also a national level Kabaddi player, and I guess sports and courage run in both of their blood. He does give most of his credit of success to his coaches, R.D. Singh, who initially recognized his potential, and Sunil Tanwar, his current coach. But this year, he dedicated his medal to his late father, Shri Ram Singh Jhajharia. I know his father must be as proud of him as I am. He also became the first Paralympic who received Padma Shri. What more?
Hope
Devendra, my brother, answered the initial questions that I had. The person who serves the country most profoundly is the person who spreads hope throughout humanity. It can be a doctor, an engineer, a labourer, a security guard or any single person who exists right now. Someone, who can give us hope for a better and brighter future, someone who can spread a smile across our faces.
Someone like Devendra Jhajharia who has become an icon for all the people in India or beyond, for the people who might be challenged in some way or the other, who are being ridiculed by all the bullies around them. People like Devendra are more than an icon for them. He provides a belief to those kids that anyone can do something significant in this lifetime. He gives an idea that even after a tragedy, life can become so much more, so much more than one can even imagine.
He is one of the most modest people I have known. He has simple dreams, a simple life where he could live happily with his family. But he has no idea what kind of an impact he has created and will create for our country. Because of him, hundreds, thousands or even millions of people might come out and believe in themselves and find a place to serve the nation.
I think this is the most a person can do for his country or humanity.
His Message
On the occasion of World Mental Health Day, Devendra has a message for everyone. He says,
“Apart from the basic necessities, taking care of your mental health is of utmost importance. So do at least something that makes you happy and your life worth living.”
Absolutely on point. Mental health is one of the most neglected health issues. So if you have a story to share or a message from your end, Mindroot would be happy to post that and spread the message on World Mental Health Day. Don’t forget to add the following hashtags.
#mentalhealthawareness #mindrootfoundation
Until then, take care.