There exists no problem in this world which has no solution. Its only that we fail to see and realise our full potential to address the issues we confront, said Mallavarapu Bala Latha, who did not allow her physical disability to disrupt her career plans.
She cracked the Civils exams twice and secured good rank but chose not to take the IAS post that she had earned. “That’s because I want to focus on coaching the several aspirants waiting in the wings to crack the Civils but have no clue how to go about it,” said Ms. Latha, addressing the first ‘Human Library’ session organised as part of the launch of the new concept.
Andhra Pradesh got its first ‘Human Library’ on Sunday when the State Grandhalaya Parishad formally launched it at the Tagore Memorial Library. Ms. Latha was one of the two ‘human books’ identified by the organisers to share their life experiences that could inspire many others to follow suit. Sitting in a wheel chair, she was a picture of steely grit and perseverance.
Stephen Hawking, she said, was her inspiration and went on to quote mountaineer and explorer Edmund Hillary: “It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves. You don’t have to be a fantastic hero to do certain things — to compete. You can be just an ordinary chap, sufficiently motivated to reach challenging goals. The intense effort, the giving of everything you’ve got, is a very pleasant bonus.”
Narrating how despite several odds she managed to conquer setbacks in life, she said the 3rd ranker in the 2016 Civils R. Gopala Krishna was one of her many successful trainees.
A stirring account
Surya Prasad Padala, a techie-turned-full time social worker, was the other ‘human book’. He narrated a stirring account of how he turned the initial hurdles, stumbles and setbacks of his life into stepping stones to achieve success.
“The need is to turn your gaze inward and identify your inner strengths,” he emphasised. Sharing the difficulties of his childhood, he said “Poverty can be a boon. It teaches you life skills; equips you with tools to take on challenges head on. A doctor’s son becoming a doctor is not as great as a daily wager’s son sporting a stethoscope. It gives a rare high,” he said.
Mr. Prasad is a post-graduate from IIT Kharagpur, who returned to his native place in 2012 after a 16-year-long stay in the U.S.
Person Incharge, AP Grandhalaya Parishad K. Sandhya Rani, Director of AP Public Libraries P. Parvathi, Library Officer of Tagore Library Jhansi Rani, founder of the Vijayawada Cycle Club V. Satyanarayana and others were present.