Dost Mohammad Khan was three when he lost his eyesight. That did not stop him from becoming the first graduate in his family, or a postgraduate, or a music teacher.  Shazia Yousuf profiles the man who believes in self-reliance.

Dost Mohammad Khan

Dost Mohammad Khan, 60, has vague memories of vision. He was born with minor vision impairment to poor farmer family of Binner Kahdoora village in Baramulla. His parents tried to rectify the impairment, but poverty and ignorance dashed their dreams of being seen by their son.

The dusk was darkening with every moment till the dark night engulfed his life. “They would take me to Hakeems and saints. But I don’t remember how they looked like,” Mohammad says referring to his parents.

At three, he was already blind. But Mohammad found his own way through the darkness. He not only became the first graduate and postgraduate in his family but also retired as a senior instructor at the Institute of Music and Fine Arts College Srinagar. Now he runs his music institute.

Khan’s journey began early. When he was six, he heard of Abhinanda Home for Deaf, Dumb and Blind at Solina Srinagar. Khan insisted a friend of his father to take him there.  During his five-year-long stay in Abhinanda Home, he learned to read and write in Braille and was introduced to music. “Music seemed the best option as it didn’t require anybody’s assistance and that was something which I wanted. I hate people pitying me. I hate word bichoar (helpless). Rather I should be independent and inspiring,” Khan says.

“It (Music) was something that you need to feel. Not see. You don’t need anybody’s help but a soul,” he says.

At 12, Khan moved to Government Home for Blind at Nishat and completed his matriculation and B. Muse.

Khan recalls some disheartening instances also in his career. “After I completed my B-Muse in 1968 I was appointed as the music teacher in Government Girl’s Higher Secondary School Kothibagh. My colleagues couldn’t bear a blind man working with them. They had written a letter to the authorities to transfer me to some boy’s school. Since there was no music subject in any of the boy’s school and my colleagues had a problem with a blind man teaching to girls, I was terminated,” recalls Khan.

However his yearning for knowledge didn’t let him stop there, “I wanted to move out of state for pursuing higher studies,” says Khan.

“It is much more difficult than it appears. One cannot imagine the hardships I have faced while travelling all alone to outside states,” he recalls.

So Mohammad on his own went to Delhi and completed “Special Certificate Training Course for the Teachers of Blind”- a degree equivalent to B.Ed.

“That tour lifted my spirits up. I met many blind people. Some had achieved their goals somewhere striving. They had attained the positions that only a normal person can dream of. They were professors, lecturers, research scholars,” Khan said.  “That was the moment when I literally felt I am still in dark.”

On his return, Mohammad’s longing for knowledge only grew more. He completed his graduation in 1976, “I was the first graduate in my family, both maternal and paternal. After that, I started applying for jobs. Somebody introduced me to then chief minister Sheikh Abdullah. When he heard about my struggle, he got me appointed right there,” he recalls.

Mohammad was appointed as Assistant Instructor for music at the Institute of Music and Fine arts, “But I continued with my studies. I wanted to pursue a postgraduate course in music. Since Kashmir University does not offer any, I started looking for the universities who offer courses through correspondence,” he said.

In 1978 Khan completed his MA in Music through Prayag Sangit Samiti in Allahabad. Afterwards, he was promoted to the post of Instructor in 1980. The MA from Prayag Samiti was not considered an academic degree, so, in 1987 Khan completed another Master’s program through Guru Nanak Dev University Amritsar.

His impairment hasn’t barred him from seeing the plight of others like him. Moved by the plight of the blind community especially children, Khan with the help of some friends formed ‘J&K State Welfare Association for Blind’, but he says he couldn’t make much difference.  “We could only highlight the problems of blind people, solving them was the job of government. Still, we managed to send a few blind girls to Dehradun School for Blind.”

With the outbreak of militancy in Kashmir, all the Music teachers from the Pandit community at the Institute of Music and Fine arts migrated to Jammu. Khan was the only music instructor left. For more than 16 years he managed the department single-handedly, “I would receive threats but I knew it will favour for our state in the long run,” he said.

After teaching thousands of students at the Institute of music and fine arts, Khan retired in 2006, “Almost all the young singers we have in Kashmir right now have been my students in the past. It is they who represent my skill and get acclamations for me,” Mohammad says with a grin.

Mohammad now the is father of three, owns his house and runs a private music institute – Musical Era for boys and girls, at Rajbagh Srinagar. Tirelessly he teaches music from 1pm to 5pm every day at the institute. Those who cannot come in these hours, Khan teaches at his home in morning and evening.

Calling his knowledge for music his vision, Khan says he want to spread it among children.

He is unhappy with the government role, “What does the government offer to this unfortunate section of society. Whatever I did, I did it on my own. In my childhood there was Abhinanda Home, even that too has been closed now.”

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