PM's gift inspires teenager to dream of making no-accident devices

Varanasi, Jun 6 (UNI) Teenager Rani Verma (14) of Dallipur village here has become an inspiration for countless others after passing high school examination --which she wrote with her right footwith flying colours.

The joy was doubled last night with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh granting assistance of Rs one lakh to the physically challenged high school first divisioner to help her continue with her studies.

Moved by her courage and determination to beat all odds, the PM sanctioned the amount from the Prime Minister's Discretionary Fund, which will be credited to her after attaining 18 years of age.

Mediapersons paid no need to the sultry clime to throng Rani's house where she is not only flanked by her family but also proud villagers.

Amid the sound-bytes and clicks of photographs, this little queen of the nonedescript village of Badagaon block misses only one person -- her mother Suryapatti, who died due to cardiac arrest on March 24 last.

''I started considering myself as a burden on my family after losing my hands in an accident on December 2001. But my mother's dogged determination to help me overcome the misery, through steely resolve I have achieved success.'' ''My mother taught me to write with feet, but on this very day when even the PM has acknowleged my hard work, she is not here to visualise it....she is blessing me from heaven,'' said Rani with tears in her eyes.

The daughter of Ramesh Chandra Verma, the former village pradhan of Dallipur, Rani now wants to become an engineer, contrary to her mother's wish of seeing her become an administrative official.

''I want to become an engineer only to develop 'no accident machines' which will never make any other Rani Verma handicapped,'' she said.

The steely resolve of the gutsy teenager is applauded by one and all including father Ramesh, principal of her school Ram Charit Prasad and her tutor Vinod Tiwari. ''We never thought the feet writing training imparted by her mother will bring signal success for her, but she has risen above her handicap said Mr Prasad, principal of Sri Bhagirathi Maharaj Inter College (Nayepur-Baraji) in Varanasi.

Her siblings Ranjana, Rekha, Archana and Jai Malik now vow to back their proud sister actualise her dream of becoming an engineer.

''Our mother may not be alive, but her blessings will certainly help Rani achieve her dream one day,'' they say in unison.

UNI