Click to play videoChennai: Naresh Karuturi and Chandrasekar are the heroes of IIT-Madras.
The kind of lives that both these recently-graduated engineers have lived is a strong reminder to all that life is not only about shattered dreams and unattainable ambitions.
Naresh was just seven years old when he was confined to a wheelchair but that didn't stop him from dreaming big. It was that dream that brought him to the IIT.
Today, he is a graduate in computer and electrical engineering
Naresh's mother, Kumari, had been very instrumental in bringing about the courage in Naresh to face the society as boldly as any one else.
"Naresh's accident had affected us a lot and we were totally shattered. But then we thought that people who have everything do not necessarily become successful. And that is when we decided that we will prepare him to face the society," Kumari says.
Chandrasekar, who has been wheel-chair bound since he was 17, is already an M Tech. In 2002, when he was in the VI standard, a special committee at the Anna University assessed his skills and decided to admit him into the BE programme.
Chandrasekar's father, Subramaniam, wants him to do something for the society. He wants him to be an example and a role model for others.
At the convocation on Friday, Naresh was greeted with a loud applause when he came on the stage to receive his certificate.
“I was a bit tense initially but when I came on stage and saw the response I got, I became very emotional. I'm very happy,” says a jubilant Naresh.
And it was no different for Chandrasekar, who received his gold medal.
“I was very excited and very happy, especially when I went to receive my gold medal. It's a very happy and a proud moment for both my family and me. I hope I can continue the good work,” he says.
Then when both the heroes met, it was a time for celebration.
Both of them have their own special reasons to party hard.
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