Book on GK Mahantesh, Founder, Samarthanam, launched by Rahul Dravid

The journey of GK Mahantesh, founder and managing trustee of Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled, makes for an inspiring story. His love for cricket and commitment to help visually impaired people has been brought to life in the book Eye Opener. The book was launched by former India cricket captain Rahul Dravid.

Growing up with a vision impairment was not easy but G K Mahantesh, Founder-Managing Director, Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled overcame those challenges to empower himself and support the blind community across India in many ways.

That’s quite an incredible story and Mahantesh brings his journey to life quite vividly in the book Eye Opener. The book has been written by Mahantesh and veteran cricket journalist Satish Viswanathan.

Given the role Mahantesh has played in promoting blind cricket as president of the Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI) and World Blind Cricket (WBC), it was befitting that Eye Opener was launched by former India captain Rahul Dravid.

Book available in Braille

At the function, Dravid was full of praise for Mahantesh’s many achievements.

It is a great story of what can be achieved if you have an extraordinary vision. Mahantesh has made a difference to the lives of many through blind cricket and the Samarthanam Trust. We are inspired to what can be done to the society from the story of Mahantesh GK. He touched the lives of many people out there and made a difference in their lives. Mahantesh is a true leader who in spite of various adversities, went on with his journey. – Rahul Dravid, Brand Ambassador, Blind T20 World Cup

As the brand ambassador of the Blind T20 World Cup, Dravid has a close association with the game. He is also well aware of the challenges blind cricketers face in playing the game. “It is easy to organise a big event like the IPL, as it is backed by unlimited resources”, he pointed out at the virtual launch. “But this was not the case with the Blind World Cup. It required extraordinary vision and courage from Mahantesh and CABI to organise an event with limited finances”.

In the book, Mahantesh talks about his struggles in the early years. Those struggles shaped his commitment to support and empower the blind community in India. Among the most memorable chapters in the book is the part where he talks about the role played by his mother and family. At the virtual launch, Mahantesh said he did not consider being visually impaired as a hurdle. In fact, he called it a motivation to help others with similar disabilities.

Even now during the coronavirus pandemic, Mahantesh and his team have been out there helping blind cricketers financially. With the fate of domestic cricket uncertain, blind cricketers face uncertain times and the Samarthanam team is doing its best to ensure they do not face undue hardship.

A copy of Eye Opener is available at Notionpress, Amazon, and Flipkart. Braille versions can be ordered by email to info@samarthanam.org

Also Read:

• Samarthanam is all about providing opportunities to disabled people!
  Get-hooked