Mumbai (Maharashtra): "My advice to other disabled people would be, concentrate on things your disability doesn't prevent you doing well, and don't regret the things it interferes with. Don't be disabled in spirit, as well as physically": These words of noted physicist Stephan Hawking have inspired millions of specially-abled people across the world including Mumbai's Tarandeep Singh.
The young man with 90 percent disabilities from Guru Tegh Bahadur nagar started a food start-up "Chaap on wheels" in partnership with two other people, where they serve soya chaap and other vegetarian food items. Speaking to the media, Taran said, "In 2015 I met with a train accident which left me with 90 percent disability. I became totally dependent on others. My disability and dependency on others made me depressed. My cousin Rashmeet Singh contacted me to start a food business and I immediately agreed to this idea."
"We began our small start-up on January 1, 2023. Rashmeet was in the food business before Covid. As the Covid pandemic stuck, he had to close his business. Rashmeet then contacted me if I wanted to help him in establishing his food business again. We named our start-up ' Chaap on Wheels' because it was the wheels of my wheelchair that helped me fight my challenges and achieve my goals," he added.
"Although India has advanced in several sectors, it still lags behind in helping a specially-abled person to achieve goals in life. The specially-abled community in India has to struggle a lot. Even I struggled a lot to find a job due to my disability. Not able to get a job, I started feeling depressed and upset. But my friends and family have supported me throughout my journey. I also would like to thank several other people who have unknowingly helped me somewhere in life," the young differently abled man said.
Praising his partners Honey and Rashmeet for their hard work, Tarandeep said, " Rashmeet is the backbone of our food truck. He had huge experience in the food business and that helped us in offering nearly twelve to thirteen different varieties of soya chaap along with other food items like Paneer tikka, Mushroom Tikka, etc. This is a pure vegetarian food truck. We are now planning to expand our menu."
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"From the day of my accident in 2015, my mother has not worn slippers. She vouched not to wear slippers till I start walking on my own feet," Tarandeep said adding, "Now I can walk - if not physically but mentally and spiritually". "I want to do something for the specially-abled community in India. My mission is to make specially-abled people financially independent so that they do not have to look up to others to lead their life happily," he concluded with an aesthetic grin.
