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The 17th CAVINKARE ABILITY AWARDS 2019
Venue: Sir Mutha Venkatasubba Rao Concert Hall
Harrington Road, Chennai
Jury:
Mariazeena Johnson, Pro chancellor, Sathyabama Institute of Science & Technology(Deemed to be University)
Dr. Vinod Surana,CEO & Managing Director, Surana & Surana International Attorneys
Rajiv C Lochan, MD & CEO, The Hindu group
Abhaya Srisrimal Jain,Chairman,LifeCell International Pvt. Ltd.
Radhamohan,Film Maker
Latha Krishna,Executive Director,Krishnaswamy Associates Pvt. Ltd.
The event...
Chennai, 23rd February 2019: Diversified FMCG Conglomerate, CavinKare Pvt Ltd and National
NGO Ability Foundation, today honored 5 remarkable achievers with disabilities at the 17 th ,
Edition of Cavinkare Ability Awards 2019. Held at Sir Mutha Venkatasubba Rao Auditorium, the
award function recognised and showcased exemplary success and of people triumphs of people
with disabilities.
The evening kick started with an invocation by Mrs. Srilekha Parthasarathy. Bhavna Balakrishnan
was the host for the evening.
The evening's cultural component was a scintillating Piano recital by Nithila, a student of Sri
Surojeet Chatterji of A. R Rahman’s K.M. Music Conservatory. A person with disability herself,
it is also a point to be made that her disability is of little consequence and has not stood in the
way of her dreams and aspirations.
What then followed was a veritable array of outstanding awardees, who inspired and stimulated
the entire audience at the hall. Challenging status quo, these five star achievers of this year, set an
inspiring mood for the evening with their power packed deeds and speech. Enthralling the
audience with their boundless energy and confidence, the outstanding awardees shared their life
journey vividly. The evening ended on a high-note with both the recipients of the awards as well
as the audience leaving as inspired and empowered individuals.
In its 17 year journey, the Cavinkare Ability Awards has recognized admirable achievements of
people with disabilities. Over 65 awardees have stood testimony for breaking stereotypes and
challenging the mindset of the society towards disability.
Commenting on the occasion, Mr. CK Ranganathan, Chairman and Managing Director –
CavinKare said, “Today as we step into a new year of Ability Awards, bringing into limelight
five more achievers our hearts are filled with pride and happiness. This award over the years has
become a landmark for grit, courage and desire to achieve great heights by overcoming barriers
steadily. We are happy to be celebrating the positive spirit of these achievers and hope to inspire
many through them.”
Said Ms. Jayshree Raveendran, Founder & Honorary Executive Director, Ability
Foundation, “Way back in 2003, when we brought out the first edition of the Awards, I
remember saying that there are more role models among persons with disabilities than anywhere
else. Today, seventeen years hence, I reaffirm and reiterate this statement. The kind of things we
witness year after year, with each one of our recipients, has been nothing short of breathtaking
and awe inspiring. And I am really proud and honoured to have played a role, however small, in
bringing this to the fore and in furthering their path to success.”
CAVINKARE ABILITY SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARD
BHARGAVI V DAVAR Pune, Maharashtra
Bhargavi V Davar, Ph.D., comes from a family of users of psychiatric
services in India, who have experienced violence and abuse within the
system. She works with a strong identity as a survivor, having made
conscious choices not to opt for psychiatry. Having been exposed to
mental hospitals, shock treatment, confinement, etc. since childhood,
she is passionate about systematically addressing the human rights gaps
within the mental health system in India. She started the Bapu Trust for
Research on Mind and Discourse, Pune, in 1999, to give public vision
and visibility to user/survivor-centred mental health advocacy. She has
developed several critical projects with high policy impact. She is a known figure in the disability sector
and a forerunner in regional and national level campaigns for human rights in mental health.
CAVINKARE ABILITY AWARD FOR EMINENCE:
DANISH MAHAJAN Shahpur Kandi , Punjab
Danish Mahajan hails from a small village in Pathankot district. His
voice and vision, however, reverberate across the globe. Getting over
personal trauma of going blind as an adolescent and the consequent
breakdown in education, Danish Mahajan rose, like a phoenix to
make a career for himself. Recognising the void in media attention on
disability issues and programming for people with disabilities, he
spearheaded the launch of the pioneering, 24X7 online radio service,
Radio Udaan. Almost all RJs of Radio Udaan are visually impaired.
Today, Radio Udaan has become a virtual lifeline for blind persons
across the world, giving them access to news, discussions on disability issues, chat shows, expert-speak,
screen reader software training, book reviews, and more.
CAVINKARE ABILITY Mastery Awards:
VENKATACHALAM M Gudiyatham, Tamil Nadu
Venkatachalam M is one of India's outstanding para athletes.
Overcoming the trials and tribulations of a road accident which not
only left him with a severe disability but also claimed the life of his
sister, with grit and determination, he went on to become a trailblazer
in sports. Hailing from the small town of Gudiyatham in Tamil Nadu,
earning his bread-and-butter from a small mobile phone recharge shop,
his fantastic feats in sports include several gold and silver medals at the
2018 International Para Games held in Thailand. Not content with
sports, Venkatachalam also campaigns to raise awareness on disability
rights and on the importance of sports and hassle-free access for people with disabilities.
MAJOR DEVENDER PAL SINGH Gurgaon, Haryana
Major Devender Pal Singh is India's first ever blade runner. The
injuries he sustained during the Kargil war left him an amputee,
besides partial hearing impairment and several other devastating
injuries all over his body. Undeterred, he found a new calling in
marathons. He has completed 26 half-marathons so far. Determined
to shore up the attitudes of people with disabilities and the wider
society towards disability, he founded 'The Challenging Ones'
(TCO) that makes marathons a platform and a tool for perception
building, besides nurturing para athletes. TCO members who are
flung far and wide, across the country, also function as a peer
support group for persons who undergo amputation. To Major Devender Pal Singh goes the credit of the
massive and unique SwachhAbility Runs.
AKSHAY BHATNAGAR Jaipur, Rajasthan
Akshay Bhatnagar is perhaps the first and only graduate with
autism from Rajasthan so far. He overcame challenges such as
speech impairment and epileptic attacks, besides stiff resistance
to his pursuit of academics right through school and college.
Undeterred by these obstacles, he petitioned with the
Commissioner (Disability), Government of Rajasthan and
secured admission in a college affiliated with the University of
Rajasthan. He won the Highest Academic Award for securing
second position in B.A. in the entire college. He followed it up
with a diploma in computers, cleared the competitive exam and
works at Rajasthan University Library.
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