“Disability need not be an obstacle to success,” the wheelchair-bound physicist Stephen Hawking wrote in the first-ever world disability report back in 2011.
Thousands of miles away, in Kashmir, Riyaz Ahmad Beigh proved the genius physicist right. Specially-abled, Beigh, who lost his both arms in a freak accident at the tender age of four, is today one of the reputed Kashmir Administrative Service (KAS) officers in the Valley.
In 1982, Beigh, a resident of Chadoora District Budgam, was playing football with other children when he received a high voltage electric shock resulting in the loss of both of his arms.
“One of my acquaintances with whom I was playing kicked the ball far and it stopped near a transformer. So I went to fetch it. The moment I touched the ball I received a high voltage electric shock,” Beigh recalls.
The shock was so severe that he lost both his arms in the accident.
However, it did not stop Beigh from pursuing his dreams.
“It was Allah’s will. So, instead of mourning about my situation, I decided to take it as a challenge and prove myself that I can achieve whatever, I want to,” he said.
Beigh successfully qualified the main examinations for the Kashmir Administrative Service (KAS) in open merit in 2004.
“I was not interested in civil service. My father wanted me to be a businessman. It was after I completed my MBA, I saw a notification from Public Service Commission and applied,” Beigh said.
Beigh easily qualified the prelims and mains with management and sociology.
“It was only then I decided to pursue my career in civil administration,” he said.
Beigh writes with his toes and lips and he is known for his meticulous writing.
Apart from proving his metal in education, Beigh is also a super athlete. He was an ace footballer during his university days, and also loves to swim.
“In football, I have represented my University in national. And I continue to swim to date. The aim is to prove and affirm to every physically challenged person that nothing is impossible. You only need determination,” he said.
Beigh did his schooling at Tyndale Biscoe School, Srinagar, and graduated from Bemina Degree College, Srinagar. He obtained his master's degree from the Department of Management, University of Kashmir.
Over the years, Beigh has been an inspiration to many young people who want to take civil service as their career option.
“During my time not many people from Kashmir used to qualify for civil services. So, in my pep talks, I always encouraged youth to appear in competitive examinations. After listening to my story they used to feel confident to crack the exams,” he said.
In his 17 years of career, Beigh has occupied many important posts. Currently, he has been promoted to the Additional Secretary post and is waiting for his next posting.
In personal life, Beigh is happily married for the past 15 years and has two children.
“By Allah’s grace, I am happy in my life,” Beigh said with a smile on his face.