I have a special  reason to dedicate my blog this evening to my late mother : Amma as I called & remember her . Herewith excerpts from my tribute to her recently at the Golden Jubilee celebrations of the Ladies Club of Duliajan .

” In her early fifties , Amma  suffered a cerebral stroke  which left her in a coma for several days , & bed-ridden  &  completely paralysed on one side, post-coma , described by the medical fraternity as the final milestone in her miraculous recovery from the jaws of death .

‘A disabled person who fights back is not disabled….but inspired’  was Sir Douglas Bader’s  credo  (Retd  Royal Air Force Group Captain  Sir Douglas Bader was a living legend, who , after losing both his legs in a pre-war air crash , had enlisted as a Squadron Leader with the RAF during  WWII  to play a stellar  role in the  legendary  Battle of Britain ).

His amazing story had been immortalised in the Book & the Film “ Reach for the Sky”    And he reached out to Amma  , a complete stranger , through a hand-written  letter & a personally signed copy of his book ,  to inspire her  to call on her inner strength to undergo a rigorous regime of exercise & physiotherapy to achieve re-integration into the mainstream of life. “To my way of thinking, a disabled person who achieves independence is no longer disabled”  was the inspirational message that he had delivered .

For over 20 years thereafter, Amma made every effort , as only someone with her fortitude  could , to lead as normal a life as possible . With one arm completely & one leg partially paralysed   constantly needing the support of a walking stick, she would often be in the kitchen to cook family favourites , & was very much the Lady of the Manor who refused to retire & lose a well-fought  battle against  disability.

It would make her immensely happy, if there were a way for her to know,   that the Ladies Club of Duliajan is celebrating its Golden Jubilee. She would, of course , wish the Ladies Club all success & an even more glorious future than its glorious past.  I feel honoured & privileged to be the one to convey these thoughts on her behalf. ”