A Visit to Cambridge Summary:
This is the story of a meeting between two disabled people. Both were extraordinary in their fields. Stephen Hawking is a great scientist though he suffers from paralysis. He is confined to a wheelchair and he can speak only with the help of a computer. Firdaus Kanga, the writer and journalist from Mumbai was born with very weak and easily breakable bones. He too moves around in a wheelchair. He meets Hawking in England. The two had discussed how the so called normal people should look at the disabled.
The writer, Firdaus, was on a walking torn- through Cambridge. His guide told him about Stephen Hawking who was occupying Newton’s chair at the university. But Hawking was a disabled fellow. He wrote A Brief History of Time, one of the all-time bestsellers. Firdaus phoned Hawking’s house and spoke to his assistant. He said that he was from
India and wanted to meet him (Hawking) and write about his travels in Britain. Firdaus was granted a half an hour meeting. The thought of meeting somebody like him in a wheelchair, gave Firdaus courage. Both of them were disabled. Their bodies were disintegrating. Hawking had a little switch in his hand. He was able to move his finger to find the words on his computer.
He felt exhausted very often. But his mind was brilliant and bubbling with thoughts. Firdaus remarked that people often thought that disabled people were unhappy people. Hawking said that the patronising attitude of others at times, amused him. He admitted that he felt annoyed when another disabled person came and disturbed him in his work. The body in his case was just a box for the brilliant mind and soul. He did not see anything good about being disabled.
