Raj Shrestha from Gorkha has completed his master's degree in public administration and Nepali literature from Tribhuvan University despite his physical disability.
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A crowd of students who had earned degrees ranging from bachelor's to doctorate degrees filled the Dasharath Stadium on Thursday. Students from all over the country had come with their families and relatives to participate in the 51st convocation ceremony of Tribhuvan University. Amidst the crowd, 27-year-old Raj Shrestha was seen in a wheelchair.
His mother Rammaya Shrestha and sister-in-law Dilu Shrestha were pushing him in a wheelchair. After reaching the convocation venue, the mother made her son wear a gown.
She blessed him with tears of joy throughout the house. ‘Today has forgotten all the sorrows of the past,’ said mother Rammaya, ‘My son cannot walk.’ But the success he has achieved today is the greatest pride of my life.’
Raj Shrestha, a permanent resident of Sahid Lakhan Rural Municipality in Gorkha, is currently living in Kirtipur. He came to convocation after completing his master’s degree in public administration from the Public Administration Campus under Tribhuvan University. Earlier, he had also done his master’s degree in Nepali literature from RR Campus.
Shrestha says that when he was 5 years old, he fell and seriously injured his leg while going to school. ‘I fell while going to school and seriously injured my leg.’ From that time on, I became disabled. My bones became weak. At that time, I was always worried about what I would do if I didn't study,' Shrestha said, 'Even my teachers would tell me, others would even plow and eat. What will you do? If you don't study, they would tell me, that also made me understand the importance of education.'
He says that since he could not go to school and college regularly due to his physical condition, he made self-study his main basis. 'Due to my disability, it was difficult for me to mix with the outside society. I also had limited friends,' he said, 'I didn't have any other work. Since I didn't have any friends, I didn't have any other work except reading books. Books became my friend. I always prioritized education to make myself competent.'
Shrestha, who is interested in literature, has also had experience working in some government institutions before.
He is the youngest of five siblings. According to mother Rammaya, her three sons met with accidents at different times due to the slippery roads and ups and downs of the village. One of them even lost his life. ‘Two sons are still in wheelchairs,’ she said, ‘I am a farmer. Is it because my husband is a teacher? All my sons emphasized their studies.’
She also said that she was very happy when she arrived at the convocation ceremony today. ‘The happiness now has made me forget the pain of that time in the hospital and the struggle of raising them.’
On one hand, there is the joy of being consecrate, and on the other hand, there is also the sorrow of the prince. ‘Not only wheelchair users, but also visually impaired students are not comfortable here,’ she asked, ‘Did our university not think that there are disabled students? Didn’t they know?’
