Two Successful Deaf Businessmen- by aaron

A local Deaf man who helped sponsor the GRO delegates' trip is K.
Murali, he is a leader of one of the NGOs in southern India. He is
well-known all over India among the deaf due to the fact he organized
the first Deaf Expo here a few months ago with the purpose to raise
awareness and foster exchange between government, organizations, schools
as well individuals to advance the cause of all deaf Indians. Murali
whose sign name is the same as 'mother' in ASL means flute playing
because his name means Krishna, a god often depicted playing a flute.
Since we arrived in Mumbai, we were taken around the economic impacted
areas, a polite way of labeling slums to grasp the reality of life in
Bombay for the majority including some deaf.

After meeting with the poorand disadvantaged,
Murali decided to take us to meet two local 'big men'
of the Mumbai deaf community that had succeeded in the tough world of
commerce in India. We were piqued with curiosity to meet two such men
who had overcome the furious pace of Indian life....this is not a
culture based on patience at all, instead time is of essence. Our trip
was delayed when one cab transporting four delegates-DJ, Avi, Kenny and
Anne-broke down enroute so we lost an hour waiting for them to catch up
on foot to a produce market district. The sun was out at full force with
no mercy and we were practically dying of thirst when we hiked to the
first man's business. The office was located in a business district of
Mumbai (I apologize because his name has disappeared out of my mind). He
is small-statured which is true for most Indians and in middle age. He
graduated from Gallaudet University and returned to India to work in the
family import/export business.

The same was true for the second
businessman we were introduced to, Sandeep, also a graduate of
Gallaudet. He was involved with his family business of hotels, clothe
discount stores as well cigarette exporting to the Middle East. The two
men were similar in that both were Gallaudet graduates who felt
obligated to return to India to the family business and both obtained
their own interpreters by training them themselves in ASL, a language
both felt conveyed concepts more accurately. The first man was involved
in sponsoring the Deaf Expo mentioned above because he wished the
standard of living for all Deaf Indians to be improved whereas the
latter one focused all his time on the business and his family leaving
none for deaf events. Sandeep was warm and very hospitable to us, he
took pleasure in signing with us in ASL in his office space. The banter
was continued later the night at a dim-lit bar filled with cigarette
smoke and loud music stuffed with foreigners and young non-traditional
Indians till 2 AM when the police was about to come in to search
everyone for contraband.

After arriving at the hotel, some of shared our
highs and lows of the day to get out our emotions and thoughts. Mia
still could not get over the fact that Indian society was heavily
male-dominated and that women were subjugated to their husbands and
fathers. Never mind that Indian men like Sandeep and his entourage
seemed more interested with the GRO male delegates leaving his wife to
entertain the ladies at times. Its the observation that men here are
gods in their homes and women are expected to obey whereas in America,
women have come a long way to stand as equal partners in the eye of the
law and society. This simple fact would be replayed every single day as
we journey through India. Right now we are on the sleeper train on an
overnight journey to the beaches of Goa which every Indian says is
fantastic! Good night!