Amid a mesmerising display of his signature tricks underpinned with the lofty message of social inclusion, internationally-acclaimed illusionist Gopinath Muthukad has concluded his two-month nationwide tour in the national capital as scores of differently abled children trained by him showed their expertise in magic, dance and music.
As the venue along Janpath Road reverberated on Tuesday with a soulful rendition of ‘Jai Ho’ by students of the Different Art Centre (DAC), an NGO set up by the magician, the two-hour programme took off with former Supreme Court Judge Kurian Joseph responding to Muthukad’s invitation to join him on the dais for a stunning opening magic item.
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A young man from the audience was asked to put his wristwatch in a box. It vanished, but reappeared in another chest kept by Kurien. The act drew thunderous cheering by the crowd.
Attended by Union Minister Ramdas Athawale, an array of such unusual tricks lit up the Dr Ambedkar International Centre, which was the climactic venue of the mission that began from Kanyakumari, presenting magic as an art that can empower marginalised groups.
Particularly significant was the date of the finale: December 3 is International Day for Persons with Disabilities. For that matter, the day of the start of the ‘Inclusive India’ expedition from Kanyakumari also bore importance with October 6 being World Cerebral Palsy Day.
Apt for the occasion, a student with cerebral palsy took the stage to perform a trick. R Vishnu, 23, made a girl float in the air by removing the box she was standing on, displaying the degree of talent among those with special needs.
As for the opening item, Muthukad lent an added dimension to the object. “Each of the five letters of ‘watch’ stands for a valuable word: ‘w’ for words, ‘a’ for action, ‘t’ for thoughts, ‘c’ for collaboration and ‘h’ for humaneness,” said the magician, who handed over the DAC flag to Mr Athawale whose portfolio is Social Justice and Empowerment. “Applying these in real life alone can help us achieve true inclusivity.”
The statement evoked loud cheers from the gathering, which included several MPs, including Dr Shashi Tharoor from Thiruvananthapuram, where Kerala-born Muthukad has been running his NGO for the past five years.
Others who attended included Mr Rajesh Aggarwal, Secretary, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, who announced similar journeys in 100 cities, starting next year, to create awareness. Mr Shombi Sharp, UN Resident Coordinator in India, was also present.
