Resilient 29-year-old steers past shadows of terror
Surat: On May 26, 2006, a summer vacation turned into a nightmare for the Jariwala family in Srinagar.
Shivang Jariwala
, just a 10-year-old then, was hurriedly disembarking from a bus at which a grenade had been thrown, oblivious to how his life was about to change its course.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
Those frantic steps he had taken were going to be his last. But his journey was not destined to end there.
The attack, executed by terrorists on a motorcycle, left Shivang with serious spinal injuries that left his lower body permanently paralyzed. For Shivang, it marked the beginning of a challenging journey through multiple surgeries in Srinagar and Mumbai, all unsuccessful in restoring movement below his waist.
What he realised over the years was that he was made of sterner stuff, one that transcended his physical limitations.
Today, 19 years later, Shivang drives himself to work in a specially modified Suzuki Swift. After receiving approval from the Regional Transport Office, he researched car modifications online and had acceleration and brake controls installed in the steering wheel. He subsequently obtained a driving licence for persons with disabilities.
"I drive on highways too. I drive to Mumbai with friends sometimes," he told TOI.
The blast that altered Shivang's life claimed four young lives from the Jariwala family: Krishna (16), Fenil (8), Robin (8) and Khushboo (16). "I was bedridden for almost 12 years," Shivang told TOI. Despite this setback, he continued his education, studying at home and attending school with support only to take exams. He completed his Class 10, refusing to let his physical limitations define his future.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
With unwavering support from his loved ones, Shivang eventually took to meditation to improve his health and made the decision to join his family's textile manufacturing business, where he now manages bookkeeping and computer work. "Reaching the place of work was a challenge and hence I got my car modified. There has been no looking back since," Shivang said.
"Someone has to lift Shivang and take him to the car and later help him get down.
But he manages to drive the car on his own," said Hemaxi, his mother.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
37 minutes ago
- Time of India
Deputy commissioner Divya Prabhu orders shifting of stray cattle
Dharwad: Deputy commissioner Divya Prabhu has directed the HDMC and other local bodies in the district to initiate action to remove the stray cattle occupying the roads and other public places and send them to goshalas. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now TOI had on June 5, published a report highlighting the inconvenience caused by the stray cattle in the city and other places. Taking a serious note of the report, DC Divya who chaired a district level meeting of officials from the police, veterinary, revenue and HDMC said the stray cattle should be sent to goshalas. "If the cattle found occupying a road or public place belongs to an owner, he should penalised and punished as per the law. The Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Act, 2020 stupulates imposing a fine of Rs 3 lakh and imprisonment upto five years" the DC said. The DC directed the officials to ensure that animal slaughter is done in places that have been permitted as per law and not at unauthorised places. Task force formed The DC also constituted task forces under the chairmanship of tahasildar's of respective taluks to oversee the proper implementation of the Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Act, 2020 during Bakrid which will be observed on June 7. The meeting was attended by all the tahasildars, veterinary department officers, police officers and others.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
IGP reviews law and order in Shivamogga ahead of Bakrid
Shivamogga: Eastern range IGP BR Ravikanthe Gowda conducted a law and order assessment in Shivamogga following Tuesday night's lathicharge during RCB celebrations. He spent Wednesday in the city until evening, conducting meetings with officials. Given that Shivamogga city is communally sensitive and with the upcoming Eid ul-Adha celebrations on Saturday, additional security measures were implemented. Police officers reported that Tuesday night's RCB celebration became problematic. Youths continued gathering near sensitive religious centres beyond permitted hours, disrupting traffic. A concurrent motorcycle accident resulted in one fatality. The officers noted that the necessary lathicharge effectively dispersed the crowd from sensitive areas, bringing the situation under control. Speaking to TOI, activist Chirag expressed concerns about potential incidents similar to the Bengaluru stampede, acknowledging that police intervention prevented escalation. Shivamogga DC Gurudatta Hegde appealed to residents to maintain communal harmony, highlighting the district's history of peaceful festival celebrations. He urged citizens to celebrate responsibly while disregarding attempts to create community discord. The DC stressed community cohesion as essential for national security. He commended the police department's inclusive approach and festival preparations. Additionally, he cautioned about social media misuse, requesting elders to guide young people and report concerns to relevant authorities. He confirmed the continuous availability of district administration and police to maintain peace during festivities.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Cargo details of sunken ship out amid Kerala high court push for transparency
Thiruvananthapuram: The container ship MSC Elsa 3, which sank off 14.6 nautical miles off Thottappally harbour on May 25, was carrying a mixed consignment, including chemicals and raw materials. A detailed inventory, accessed by TOI, states that the cargo included 13 containers of calcium carbide, several containers of hydrazine and hydroxylamine, and others holding bleached chemi-thermo, slaked lime, sodium lauryl ether sulphate, fish oil, polymer pellets, newsprint, wood, cashews, and vegetables. Of the 643 containers on board, 70 were empty. The disclosure, coming 11 days after the vessel sank, came against the backdrop of Kerala high court on Thursday directing the state govt to publicly disclose details concerning the nature of the cargo, its potential environmental impact and the mitigation measures being planned. A bench of Chief Justice Nitin Jamdar and Justice Basant Balaji gave the directive on a PIL filed by former MP T N Prathapan, seeking comprehensive compensation and rehabilitation for fishermen and other affected stakeholders. The court also sought instructions from the state on whether such information is already available on the official website, and if not, expected the govt to publish the available details on the site before the next date of hearing. According to the inventory, 18 containers held polymers or plastic pellets. Additionally, the ship carried around 90 containers of various types of processed and unprocessed wood, 50 containers of hydrazine and hydroxylamine, eight containers of spinning machinery, around 40 containers of cotton, six containers of "luben", 50 containers of bleached chemi-thermo used in paper manufacturing, 68 containers of quicklime or slaked lime — both harmful to skin and eyes, two containers of sodium lauryl ether sulphate — a key ingredient in soaps, detergents and shampoos and 10 containers of fish body oil or Japan crude fish oil used in omega-3 supplement production. There were also 10 containers of newsprint and 30 containers of cashews and coconuts. While calcium carbide is the most hazardous substance among the cargo, other materials also pose a risk of long-term marine pollution. The govt has stated that the calcium carbide has not leaked from the sunken vesse, but millions of plastic pellets have already washed ashore along the coast from Varkala to Vizhinjam, raising concerns about their impact on fish and other marine organisms. The clean-up effort has been sluggish. "It's been nearly 10 days since plastic pellets began washing up from the stricken ship. The manual clean-up is progressing slowly. It's disheartening to see workers scooping sand by hand and sieving it using just two small metal sieves at Thumba Beach. At this rate, it will take ages to clear all the pellets," said Robert Panipilla of Friends of Marine Life. "This suggests that disaster management and port authorities are not treating the situation with the seriousness it deserves. There is also no clarity on how deep the sand needs to be excavated," he said. Panipilla also urged the govt to formulate a standard operating procedure (SOP) and deploy machinery capable of large-scale sand cleaning as waves have already pushed the pellets deep into the shore. Meanwhile, most of the containers that washed ashore were empty.
