Many things are easier for a woman they say, their success stems from mere gender-based leeway and reservations. What shockingly goes unnoticed is that these reservations are nullified when confronted with all forms of discrimination. Braving these is not for the fainthearted. Enter Suguna, a prime model of resilience and pluck.

It is a soothing evening as Suguna greets us with a striking smile and a warm hug. Her children seem extremely eager to watch their mother give an interview with prowess and humility.

From the tender age of one, Suguna slowly began losing her eyesight. When she was three, kids near her home would never allow her to play as she had completely lost her sight by then. “They would say I’m abnormal and wouldn’t be able to play like them and so would never consider playing with me. That’s when I actually felt bad for losing my eyesight,” she says. However, Suguna’s father was extremely encouraging. In fact, he strengthened her the belief that nothing is ever an obstacle if she really wants to succeed in life. That is when she decided to study as much as she could and become extremely successful in the field of education. “My uncle insisted that my father admit me at a blind school in Pondicherry.” Selling their house at their native place, Mumbai, Suguna’s parents brought her to Tamil Nadu to educate her.

A tutor would teach students in an evening class nearby and Suguna, who did not join school till then would just hide nearby and listen to everything that was being taught – she never wanted to learn from him directly, she recalls. Her quick grasping proficiency from the tutorials made the headmaster at the school proud, and the surprised headmaster welcomed Suguna directly to the third grade.