It is a story of a blind lawyer with a steel resolve to fight out blindness and prove that he can do all that a normal man can. Chittaranjan Dey at 64 is a government lawyer (Public Prosecutor) and holding the post since 1983 and in the profession for 33 years now!
Dey reminisces, “ Trying to pluck mango from a frail branch, I fell down from the tree and lost consciousness. When I regained consciousness after two days, I lost my vision completely and my world crumbled down. I was just 10 years at that time”.
But he picked up life fast and restarted his journey at the age 12. He was admitted to a blind school in Behala, Calcutta in 1957. Five years latter, he was admitted in the coveted Ramakrishna Mission Blind Boys Academy at Narendrapur. He graduated in History from Ramakrishna Mission College in 1970 and studied law after completing Post Graduation and B.Ed from Calcutta University.
He is now a Public Prosecutor and attends Asansol Additional District and Sessions Court at 10 AM everyday holding his teenager son’s hand. Once on the premises, he manages to find his way to the courtroom. He has already 60 convictions to his credit and earns Rs.650/- per case.
Dey is very grateful to his mother who gave him the courage to fight. He also partly gives the credit of his success as a lawyer to his wife Maya and the ever faithful and diligent clerk Samir Bose for helping him in the study of case diaries.
The Asansol Bar Association has decided to felicitate Chittaranjan Dey in September this year for his outstanding performance in the face of stiffest physical challenge. The Bar Association President Sekhar Kundu says, “Chittaranjan Babu has set an example for all of us. Young lawyers should learn from him how to fight against all odds in life. We salute him.”