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I pursued my dream instead of sitting at home crying: Kanchan Pamnani

"How will a child with vision impairment study?" "Bickari ko dikhta nahi..." These were common sentences Kanchan Pamnani used to hear in her initial days in school and college. But this didn't deter her from studying and pursuing her dreams of following in the footsteps of her father — to become an advocate.

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Kanchan Pamnani lost her eyesight by the time she was 34
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"How will a child with vision impairment study?" "Bickari ko dikhta nahi..." These were common sentences Kanchan Pamnani used to hear in her initial days in school and college. But this didn't deter her from studying and pursuing her dreams of following in the footsteps of her father — to become an advocate.

"It couldn't have been possible without the support of my parents and god. I chose to ignore negative comments and continue studying. I decided to pursue my dream instead of sitting at home and crying," said Pamnani.

Born with low vision, her eye-related problems included congenital cataracts and a squint, which led to nystagmus (involuntary rolling of the eyeballs), retinal tears and, eventually, progressive macular degeneration. All of this resulted in her losing her eyesight by the time she was 34.

When Pamnani used to sit to study, her father would ensure that the lighting was perfect and there was no glare on her eyes. He would also make sure there was no noise in the room. Her mother, a retired teacher, would see to it that there was food on the table. "It was this intangible support which helped me become the person I am," she said.

Pamnani completed her graduation from Sydenham College and did her LLB from Government Law College. However, for her LLM examination, she required the help of a writer.

She practises mainly in the field of corporate, testamentary, property and disability law. Her clients include Indian multi-nationals, NRIs investing in India, Indian Financial Institutions, private and public trusts, high net worth individuals and NGOs working in the field of disability.

"I do face a little difficulty in practising. For example, while printing an agreement, a normal person may take five minutes, I take 20-25 minutes," she said.

Pamnani has completed two courses from the World Intellectual Property Organisation, Geneva, and a course in arbitration from the Indian Merchants Chamber and a diploma in Intellectual Property Law from the University of Mumbai.

Apart from her career, she is committed to many social causes. She initiated and drafted the representation on behalf of the visually challenged to National Securities Depository Limited and the Indian Banks Association, which has resulted in guidelines that have benefited thousands of disabled people. Her interaction with the Reserve Bank of India prompted them to issue a circular on the issue of facilities and services to the visually impaired.

She is a voracious reader and enjoys swimming, photography and travelling. "I party and spend quality time with my friends too," she said, emphasising that she works hard on everything that she takes up and is willing to try new things.

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