Mohammad Gulzar Saifi

Mohammad Gulzar Saifi (February 16, 1983- ) is an Indian educator, community organizer and polio survivor in the north Indian city of Meerut in Uttar Pradesh. He was the featured protagonist in the 2009 Academy Award-nominated documentary film, The Final Inch. [1] The short film profiles one of those stricken by polio; and in this way, the documentary establishes a context for global efforts to eradicate the paralysing illness.[2]

Gulzar is a graduate in English from Meerut's Chowdhary Charan Singh University. In part, because of the celebrity status which attended the film, this teacher with a disability has come to earn a living by giving English lessons to about 60 children daily.[3] Gulzar has learned the hard way that "polio is not a disease, it’s a disaster for many ... I was lucky, I had a good family who looked after me but what about those who don’t, those who are abandoned? I appeal to everyone to get their child vaccinated against polio."[4] The title The Final Inch refers to the fact that health officials say polio, which can paralyse a child for life within hours, is on the brink of being controlled.

Documentary

The promotional poster for the Academy Award-nominated film, The Final Inch, which features Mohammad Gulzar Saifi

The title of the documentary film The Final Inch refers to the fact that polio, which can paralyse a child for life within hours, is on the brink of being eliminated—thanks to mass immunisation, the world is mere "inches" from achieving that ultimate achievable goal.[5] Eradication of worldwide polio has attracted attention, but "getting rid of the last 1 percent has been like trying to squeeze Jell-O to death."[6]

There was comparatively little media coverage about The Final Inch in India, even as its people seemed obsessed with Oscar-front-runner Slumdog Millionaire.[7] However, articles in The Times of India, Daily India and word-of-mouth in Meerut's Dibai Nagar area confirm that Saifi is the star of the documentary.[8] Saifi's prominent role in the film has caused a dramatic change in his life; and when the film was included in the Oscar race, people were congratulating him with flowers and garlands.[9]

Assessing on the film's potential impact, Meerut District's chief medical officer observed, "The sensitivity with which the film has been made is a sign of the earnestness of those involved in the polio eradication program. Gulzar's story is bound to be a lesson for many families ignoring polio vaccination. We really hope it works towards motivating that section of the society."[3]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Pandey, Geeta. "Final Inch towards the Oscars," BBC News. 19 February 2009.
  2. ↑ "India polio survivor stars in Oscar-nominated film," France24. February 4, 2009.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Kumar, Lalit. "Crippled, he's walked an extra mile to Oscars," The Times of India. 1 February 2009; "Adversity turns into success – a film about a polio victim," Dawn (Karachi, Pakistan). February 5, 2009.
  4. ↑ "Adversity," Dawn.
  5. ↑ "India polio survivor stars in Oscar-nominated film," Gulf Times (Doha, Qatar). February 6, 2009.
  6. ↑ McNeil, Donald. In Battle Against Polio, a Call for a Final Salvo." New York Times. February 1, 2011; excerpt, "... getting rid of the last 1 percent has been like trying to squeeze Jell-O to death. As the vaccination fist closes in one country, the virus bursts out in another .... The [eradication] effort has now cost $9 billion, and each year consumes another $1 billion."
  7. ↑ Tharakan, Tony. "Two documentaries set in India eye Oscar glory," Reuters. 2 February 2009.
  8. ↑ Kumar, "Crippled," The Times of India; Singh, Vijay Pratap. "Polio-crippled Indian joins the race for Oscars," Daily India. February 3, 2009.
  9. ↑ Singh, "Polio-crippled," Daily India.

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External links