When Dr Nilkanthrai Chhatrapati was barely 40 years old, his sight began to fail. While this was a major setback for the skilled physician and surgeon, he not only overcame it but also emerged as a trailblazer in the field of education and welfare for the visually impaired in western India.
In 1902, he was appointed as the first principal of the Victoria Memorial School for the Blind in Bombay. He is also credited with developing Braille for the Devanagari script.
Born in Baroda in 1854, Chhatrapati started his education in his hometown and then moved to Ahmedabad for an English education before heading to Bombay to study medicine at Grant Medical College.
After completing his medical studies, he became a certified doctor in 1880. Instead of seeking wealth, he chose to roll up his sleeves at a charitable dispensary hospital in Ahmedabad, established in honour of Ranchhodlal Chhotalal, a pioneer in the textile mill industry. His work soon made him one of the leading figures in medicine from the region.
Rise in medicine
Due to Dr Chhatrapati’s dedication and tireless efforts, the dispensary evolved into a full-fledged hospital. His work caught the attention of Ahmedabad civil surgeon Dr John Robb, who offered him a position at the Civil Hospital and the associated Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Medical College. Dr Chhatrapati accepted the offer and started his role as an assistant surgeon. He also taught anatomy and physiology at the college.
Dr Chhatrapati’s passion for healthcare extended to writing for the general public. His articles were featured in the prestigious medical journal The Lancet. He also wrote on various health-related topics in everyday Gujarati. In 1892, he authored one of the first Gujarati books on the perils of alcohol consumption, titled Daru.
He actively participated in the Gujarat Vernacular Society, a literary association, which published several of his books, including Stree-Mitra (Friend of Women, 1883), Hindustannaan Gamdaanni Arogyata (Hygiene of the Villages of India, 1897), Gharmaan Vaparati Chijonun Rasayan (The Chemistry of Ingredients Used in the Household, 1899), and Akasmaat Vakhate Madad ane Ilaaj (Help and Remedies during Accident, 1900), to name a few.
But even as Dr Chhatrapati continued this prolific output, he was grappling with the onset of gradual blindness.
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A man with a vision
In 1893, when Dr Chhatrapati’s vision started deteriorating, he ceased contributing to The Lancet. Upon learning about the reason, the editor requested his case papers and had them shown to doctors in England, who diagnosed Dr Chhatrapati with atrophy of the optic nerves.
Meanwhile, the news reached Dr John Robb, who had retired as Ahmedabad civil surgeon and returned to England. Dr Chhatrapati recalled in a 1902 interview with The Times of India that Robb, upon learning of his condition, sent him a biography of Dr TR Armitage, a benefactor and advocate for the blind. This inspired Dr Chhatrapati to understand more about the lives of the visually impaired abroad and learn about the Braille script.
To continue his work, Dr Chhatrapati enlisted the assistance of Shivalal Shah, a man with vision whom he employed as a permanent helper. The doctor would listen to articles read out by Shah and dictate content for his books to him. Many of the books mentioned earlier were written by Dr Chhatrapati in this manner.
A few years after his diagnosis, Dr Chhatrapati met Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad of Baroda and proposed plans to teach basic education and handicrafts to the visually impaired. Although Gaekwad did not favour the idea, he gave Dr Chhatrapati Rs 300. The doctor used this money to travel to Amritsar and stay at a blind Christian school run by Miss Annie Sharpe for two weeks in 1896.
‘Dr Nilkanthrai’s Braille’
Upon his return, Dr Chhatrapati collaborated with educators and teachers in Ahmedabad to tackle the challenge of adapting English Braille for Indian languages.
This led to the creation of what is now known in western India as ‘Dr Nilkanthrai’s Braille’. As BB Kampani, the honorary secretary of the Blind Relief Association of Bombay, noted in a 1952 article, the guiding principle behind Dr Chhatrapati’s adaptation was that “all Braille signs should, as far as possible, represent the same or similar sounds in all languages”.
This adaptation was applicable to languages using the Devanagari script. Despite the challenges posed by printing technology, Dr Chhatrapati succeeded in publishing a Gujarati book for the first standard in Braille.
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Pioneer in blind education
In 1900, Dr Chhatrapati started the first school for the blind in western India, specifically catering to visually impaired orphans. Unfortunately, the school had to be shut down as the children either left or died. Subsequently, a new school was established in the premises of the Gujarat Vernacular Society. This institution offered instruction in Gujarati Braille, along with training in cane-work and tailoring. By 1901, the school had 20 blind students, including four girls.
However, Dr Chhatrapati soon faced a dilemma. In 1902, the Victoria Memorial School for the Blind was established in Bombay to honour Queen Victoria, who had died the previous year, and Dr Chhatrapati was selected as the first principal.
Despite his reluctance to leave his Ahmedabad school and the fact that the Victoria Memorial School was exclusively for boys, he accepted the position in the broader interest of serving the blind community and relocated to Bombay. To support him, Shivlal Shah was appointed as an assistant teacher at the school.
The school’s curriculum extended over five to seven years, depending on each student’s needs. However, securing employment for the school’s graduates was a challenge. Those who studied music found some opportunities, but it was more difficult for others.
To help address this issue, Dr Chhatrapati, with the assistance of Shivlal Shah, founded an ‘Industrial Home’ for the blind in 1916. This facility served as a workshop during the day and a dormitory at night.
In 1916, Dr Chhatrapati became a member of the ‘Defective Inquiry Committee’ formed by the government of India. On his recommendation, the government opened a school for the blind in each of the four divisions of Bombay Presidency.
Together with civil servant CG Henderson, Dr Chhatrapati was instrumental in establishing the Blind Relief Association, garnering support from prominent figures in Bombay. The association took the lead in starting various hospitals, clinics, and other initiatives for the visually impaired.
Dr Chhatrapati passed away in Ahmedabad in 1922, but his legacy of adapting Braille in the Devanagari script and his dedicated service to the blind continue to light the way for many.
Urvish Kothari is a senior columnist and writer based in Ahmedabad. He tweets @urvish2020. Views are personal.
(Edited by Asavari Singh)