Jammu : A visually impaired lawyer in the Jammu wing of the J&K High Court has proven that disability cannot create hurdles in path to success. Suraj Singh is the only person from Jammu and Kashmir who obtained a law degree despite being visually impaired.
He hails from Loi Malhar, a remote area of Kathua district, and has been blind since birth. He received his early education at the Government Blind School for Boys in Jammu after which he passed Class 12 from the Shri Maharaja Pratap Singh Higher Secondary School. After completing his graduation from the Jammu University, he obtained his law degree from the same university. It was never easy for Suraj Singh to complete his education in regular classes with ordinary students.
He said that he had to work hard to memorise the lectures given in the classroom which was not so easy on many occasions. However, he says that some faculty members and his friends helped him learn the subjects by spending time with him when needed. After completing his education, he practiced as a lawyer. In April, he was made the Government Advocate for defending the government cases before the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir at Jammu.
It should be noted that for several weeks, Suraj Singh had also staged a protest outside the High Court, in which he demanded that disabled persons should be given benefits according to the government-level reservation. He also demanded the implementation of the Government Gazette Notification 2021, which was issued by the Department of Social Justice and Welfare, Government of India under the section on the rights of physically challenged persons, which stated that physically challenged persons can be appointed to these official posts.
According to the notification, advocates for the visually impaired or persons with other physical disabilities may be appointed to the posts specified in the notification to the advocates for the visually impaired. Suraj Singh is not only doing his best but is also a beacon for others. He says that he aspires to reach a higher position in his profession through hard work and not on the basis of his disability. Singh has a sharp memory and eloquently conveys his cases in the court. (IANS)
