19

Dec

My Bookshelf

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A Moving Portrait of Courage and Compassion

- Dr. M. Iqbal Siddiqui

(Battle on Wheels - Short story collection

The Author: Khalid Akhtar

BlueRose Publishers, London/New Delhi)

 

(Battles are part of everyday life but they should not leave scars.Instead, they should serve as inspiration for others to emulate and spread positivity.Easier said than done. But when the subject is people who have not only conquered their weaknesses but come out winners the writer or book critic must control his/her own experiences and put the best foot forward for the sake of humanity.

The book and Dr M Iqbal Siddiqui who has reviewed the book of Khalid Akhtar 'Battle on the Wheels' deserves to be read for the simple reason that he is harsh and yet inspirational. ---- Editor Book Reviews )

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Khalid Akhtar’s Battle on Wheels is a stirring and compassionate collection of short stories that brings to the forefront the lived realities of persons with disabilities—realities often overlooked in mainstream literature. What distinguishes this book is its moral clarity: Akhtar does not seek sympathy for his characters; he demands dignity for them. He calls for a shift from charitable paternalism to a rights-based, humane understanding of disability—an appeal woven into the emotional fabric of every story.

Akhtar approaches his subjects with a deep sense of responsibility. The stories are not merely imaginative exercises; they are ethical interventions. Through accessible yet evocative prose, he gives voice to those pushed to the margins—children abandoned by families, widows navigating predatory eyes, workers battling poverty, athletes defying physical limitations, and individuals scarred yet unbroken by violence.

The opening story, A Blessed Girl, sets the tone. Meena, herself disabled and neglected in childhood, becomes a pillar of hope for abandoned children. The narrative not only exposes societal cruelty but also celebrates the transformative power of empathy. In Noble Eyes, the bond between a blind teacher and his student evolves into a profoundly moving cycle of guidance and gratitude, culminating in a moment of redemption that feels almost luminous.

Review at a Glance
Battle on Wheels by Khalid Akhtar is a powerful and compassionate short story collection that foregrounds the lived experiences of persons with disabilities, demanding dignity rather than pity. Through ethically grounded and emotionally resonant narratives, Akhtar challenges charitable paternalism and advocates a rights-based, humane understanding of disability.
His characters—abandoned children, widows, athletes, workers, and survivors of violence—are portrayed with agency, resilience, and moral depth. Stories like A Blessed Girl and Noble Eyes highlight empathy and reciprocal guidance, while Weight Lifter celebrates determination through a Paralympic triumph.
Other pieces explore gendered vulnerability, silent altruism, prejudice, guilt, and redemptive love. Written in accessible yet evocative prose, the collection situates disabled lives at the centre of storytelling. More than literature, the book is a moral appeal urging inclusion, empathy, and justice in social attitudes.

One of the most inspiring pieces, Weight Lifter, follows Arman, a boy who lost his legs in an accident but refuses to lose his dreams. His journey from a village roadside to winning gold at the National Paralympics is portrayed with remarkable sensitivity, capturing both the grit of physical training and the emotional resilience behind it.

Equally compelling is Helping Hand, where an old, paralysed man survives unknowingly through the labour of an anonymous benefactor. The story is a gentle reminder that moral greatness often walks silently among us.

Akhtar also explores the intersection of disability with gender. In Like a Man, a widow adopts a masculine appearance to escape harassment and ensure her daughter’s safety—a sharp commentary on the violence embedded in everyday social interactions. The Hijab presents an acid-attack survivor who hides her face not out of shame but to test the sincerity of the world around her. Her climactic revelation is one of the book’s most striking moments, forcing readers to confront the superficiality of societal love.

The collection also delves into emotional terrains shaped by regret, guilt, and redemption. So Sorry follows a young man who once avoided a limping classmate, only to find her years later as the principal interviewing him—a poignant reminder of how prejudice can haunt our moral memory. In Marriage in Heaven, a young man refuses to abandon his fiancée after an accident leaves her disabled, insisting that love binds souls, not bodies.

Throughout the book, Akhtar’s message remains unwavering: disability is not inability. His characters are not presented as victims but as individuals with agency, aspirations, and inner strength. The foreword by PUCL President Kavita Srivastava rightly notes that these stories enrich a genre still underdeveloped in Indian literature—narratives that place disabled lives at the centre rather than the periphery.

Battle on Wheels is not just a literary work; it is a gentle but firm indictment of our social attitudes. It urges readers to move beyond token gestures and recognise the rights, capabilities, and humanity of disabled persons. This collection deserves attention not only for its storytelling but also for its moral vision. It is a timely contribution to the ongoing conversation on inclusion, empathy, and justice.

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FOR ALL BOOK LOVERS :We are inform you that we have started a brand new column of Book Reviews under the title 'My Bookshelf' appearing every First and Third Friday on the Mediamap website.
This   website, which is one arm of the Media Map News Network besides a monthly thought journal and you tube,  is  run as a voluntary effort by a professional group of journalists having years of experience in the field of Journalism and media education.

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We invite you to start sending us books for reviews at the following address to explore new horizons and readers from the New Year 2026. –  With greetings for a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2026  --- Amitabh Srivastava, Editor, Book Reviews.)

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