When I visited Viklang Bandhu, the disable printing press managed by Mr. Tailor, I counted 22 awards of national and international awards in his chamber. These includes Best Employee for Physically Handicap Person, 1990, and the self employed person, 1992, awarded by Gujarat Govt. In speaking to Kanubhai Tailor, I could easily see his quality and goodwill, sympathy and desire to help other needy person. Despite the physical handicap he is an extremely confident and capable man, certainly not affected by feelings of inferiority. He is a greatly inspirational man. At the age of 11 months he was having high fever, followed by polio, which rendered both of his legs completely useless. But the real test was experienced when Kanubhai started attending school. He had to crawl all the way to school and tolerate the humiliation of other children making fun of him. His family has endure miserable living conditions, and upon Kanubhai was the extra burden of being the elder son of family with all expectations on him. Often he felt he could not endure the frustration and despair, in fact Kanubhai told me that once he even tried to commit suicide. Fortunately, God had other plans for him. Somehow he survived that life and was able to be begin again. He passed his SSC examination at Adas Road, Dist. Kheda, and left his father home. Kanubhai then set out for Ahmedabad with a strong ambition to do well for himself and to serve his fellow human beings. In Ahmedabad railway station he saw a disabled girl. The first thing he noticed about her was how happy she was. She had accepted disable living and natural and simple along with the cheerful life. Because of her Kanubhai was able to leave his own happiness behind. He decided to do something for other disabled people and studied up to the last year of commerce. Unfortunately he was unable to give the examination. During this examination, Kanubhai succeeded in starting sports for disable people. He established the society for the physically handicapped in 1976 and was president for 5 years. This has been a leading institution in activity of the disabled.

With only 2 months was remaining before the TY B.Com examination, Kanubhai was selected by the Mobility International as the first Indian representative of the the 6th International World Mobility Conference 1979. The Prime Minister of India Mr. Morarjibhai Desai bid him goodbye and good luck for abroad. As a result of strong representation at the Geneva conference, the govt. of India decided to celebrate 1981 as physically handicapped year, UNO also passed the resolution. This was implemented by the late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. In remembrance of her, Kanubhai told his experience with her when his own economical condition was very bad. It was difficult for him to more using hands and crawling on the hot earth with no tricycle. He wrote a letter to the late Smt. Indira Gandhi in 1971 and as a result, Indiraji gave him a tricycle immediately. She always showed compassions, real love and humanity to Kanubhai. After the Geneva conference, the govt. sent a team of twelve members to Britain, France, Kuwait, Thailand, south Africa and Kenya, to study the problems of the disabled and their remedies, Kanubhai was selected as one of the member. Kanubhai was invited by the national society for handicapped, to inaugurate a conference in America in 1982. he presented a report about the celebration of 1981 as year of the disabled in India and describe the activities in details. He presented this report to the govt. India after returning from Belgium, London and Dubai. In 1985, Kanubhai started the Viklang Bandhu Press, to provide jobs for the disables. 10 disable persons once trained at the press and then help to start their own self-employment venture. As a result of this the govt. of Gujarat gave him two awards. The finance minister and chief minister immediately came to visit his press and appreciated the initiative of Kanubhai tailor.

Kanubhai tailor born on 17-05-1956 at Magdallah, near Surat dose not limit his activities to his employees. He began a fast until death to obtain travel relief for the disabled. His demands were eventually accepted by the govt. and implemented, and after he had fasted for 11 days, showing his immense will power in the desire to serve humanity. After joining the loins club, he became more popular. He became the president of the lions club of mid-west in the year 1992-93 instead of going to the temple he use to go to the orphan ashram. He distributed clothes and notebooks, arranged arrange sports competitions and started activates such as medical camp. Doing that service he collected more then 1100 bottles of blood for donation. He work hard for the disables and also stopped the lunch programme of the lions club using the money saved for social work. Kanubhai tailor was selected from the applicants all over the world by a handicapped org. in Washington ,USA for outstanding achievements internationally in 1990. The President (WHO) World Handicapped Organization presented the award. At the time the Indian Ambassador, Mr. Abidali himself came on the stage to push Kanubhai tailor wheelchair. The Secretary of White House invited Kanubhai to the White House and he was honoured to sit on the chair of "Abraham Lincoln". When he returned to New Delhi he was congratulated by the Prime Minister Shri Rajiv Gandhi. Mr. William Bik, president of lions club international announced in America that even though Lions Club throughout the world works for the disabled, only one disabled person became president of the Lions Club and done so much for the welfare of the society. During 1992-93 Kanubhai Tailor was president of Lions Club Midwest in Surat. He performed exemplary works for the Loins Club, reaching Kapadvanj to Vapi. The District Governor has also taken note of this. In his activities he spent 60,000 Rs on notebooks which were distributed to the disabled, and 100 tricycles were also distributed. His main activities concerned medical treatments and operations. We can take a look at his personal life. He received many offers of marriage, but chose a girl named Hansaben of Surat. She is handicap, without the use of both hands. She says "my legs are yours and your hands are mine". With this sprit they are enjoying married life, and have family of two children, "Rachana" - 4 years and "Sonu"-2 years. Both are physically fit in all respects.

During his visit to London he met with V.V.I.P. When the Gujarati Association [ Darjee Gynati Seva Mandal - UK] gave him the money he did not accepted, but requested to be given wheelchairs instead. 11 wheelchairs were given, which at that time cost 8,000 Rs. (presently the cost is Rs 30,000) when these wheelchairs were brought to India, a custom duty @ 30% was charged. But due to the efforts of the Governor Smt. Shardaben Mukherji & Chief Minister Mr. Madhavsingh Solanki, the Customs duty was waived. Those wheelchairs were distributed among the disabled at no cost, by the hands of the Governor. In a similar way the World handicap organization gave Kanubhai 1,00,000 Pounds. Which he promptly returned so that it could be spent on development. This gesture is a great pride of India. When I asked Kanubhai to give me a message for the disabled, he said that society should not consider the disabled to be helpless. He also said that the disabled should overcome feelings of inferiority and work hard for the society. Recently Smt. Sonia Gandhi, Chairman of Rajiv Gandhi foundation, invited Kanubhai to her residence in New Delhi in 1993. Because of the frank and easy nature of Kanubhai Tailor, about 50 to 60 people visited his place daily and tries to help of who ask him to. I asked Kanubhai what reaction would be if the Government of Gujarat would select him for a Special Person Award he replied that it would be indicate that he had the co-operation of the Government. He said his demand is for free travel facilities for 3,50,000 disabled. He would be very pleased with the action taken if the Government were to grant this proposal.

Kanubhai Tailor is the pioneer of the Disable Welfare Trust of India. This is his own dreams, and reaches from Baroda to Bombay. There are no facility as such for the disabled, no schools, hostel or hospital. Recently a donor supplied him with 10 acres of land 14 kms from Surat at Althan Village, Surat. His dreams is to build a school, hostel and a trading center for the physically handicapped. He also wants to start a physiotherapy center in the near future. With all he has done for the welfare of the public, Kanubhai is far ahead of the normal person. Looking at Kanubhai Tailor and his services and the country remember one slok of Sanskrit " Mukam Karothi Vachalam…. Pangu Langhayat Girim."