Looking

Forward

An up close and personal chat with Mohammad Asif Iqbal, Manager, HR

Consulting at PricewaterhouseCoopers BY NEERAJ VARTY

e can say without

a doubt that we
have never met
anyone quite like
Mohammed Asif
Iqbal. There are very
few people in the world who would look at
a debilitating visual disability in the eye and
not blink, much less go on to overcome it and
achieve a stellar corporate career. From being
perceived as the boy with the handicap to
being a foremost champion of rights for the
differently-abled, Iqbal has come a long way.
At an age where most children are blissfully
unaware of struggles, Mohammad Asif Iqbal
realised he could not see as well as others. He
was diagnosed with a rare visual illness which
would leave him completely blind within
the next few years. From school-teachers to
well-wishers, everyone urged him to pull out
of school as they didnt think he could make it.
Despite all odds, Iqbal managed to
complete his schooling in the US, return
to India and then go on to become the first
visually-impaired student to graduate from
Kolkatas prestigious St Xavier College, and
then the first visually-impaired student to be
awarded an PGDM degree from Symbiosis
Center for Management and Human Resource
Development. He now works as a Principal
consultant in Human Resource Management
with PricewaterhouseCoopers in Kolkata. In
the words of Rachna Nath, Senior Partner at
PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Asif is an amazing
guy. He is a source of motivation for all of us.
These words are echoed by almost everyone
who has come across Asif Iqbal, even us.
We caught up with Mohammad Asif Iqbal
for a no-holds-barred discussion on what it
really takes to challenge the Status Quo and
rise above the rest

PIC: BHASWARAN BHATTACHARYA

The best work is

done when everyone
contributes to their
strengths, and this
holds true for every
job, irrespective of
their disabilities.
34 / Corporate Citizen / December 1, 2014

PIC: BHASWARAN BHATTACHARYA

ODDS OVERCOME

From a young age, you have had

to deal with peoples ignorance.
How do you deal with the bias
that society has towards talented
people with disabilities?

This is a global problem. This is not going to

be eliminated overnight. There can only be a
long term solution for this. There was a time
when women were discriminated against at
the workplace and over time that injustice has
been largely eliminated. I feel the same way
about the disabled or any other marginalised
group. The journey towards the solution has
been initiated. Education and awareness is extremely important, which is why I never miss
an opportunity to speak at any public forum
about equality irrespective of handicaps.

One needs to
constantly stay
updated about
the latest trends
in the industry

You have completed your

secondary schooling in the USA.
What according to you does
India need to learn from the West
regarding sensitivity towards
disabled people?

When it comes to infrastructure or technical

capabilities to accommodate disabled people,
India is still a long way off. What is more
important, however, is providing a support
system for the disabled. We must learn to
inspire hope in their hearts, give them the
confidence to tackle any goal. We must give
them wings to fly.
We need to make the effort to broaden the
mind-set of the people.

How different is your regular day

from others?

Like most corporates, I have to travel a lot,

and for that I have to plan my day in advance.
Meticulous planning and co-ordination is the
key. If I have to travel to another city, I can
book my air-tickets and plan my route using
JAWS, a software which reads out information displayed on my computer screen. I do,
however, need someone to drop me to the airport, where I the airport staff help me to my
seat. Similarly, when I land, the airport crew
escorts me to the arrival terminal, where I call
my driver and arrange for a pick up. The most
important thing is effective communication.
After checking in to a hotel, I immediately
familiarise myself with the rooms layout, so I
can move about comfortably.

Can you do complete justice to

your job, despite your disability?
Is your output the same as your
sighted counterparts?

Thats a good question. See, I work in a

team, and the team has certain deliverables,
and everyone has a role. My strength lies in
envisioning a solution to a business problem,
but my weakness lies, for example, in making

I have a wife and a

4 year old daughter.
She realises her dad
cant see, and she is
very sensitive about
it. My entire family is
very supportive

a Power Point Presentation to demonstrate a

solution. That is where some other member of
my team shines. The best work is done when
everyone contributes to their strengths, and
this holds true for every job, irrespective of
their disabilities.

Are you growing in the industry?

It all boils down to perception. I suppose if I

had normal vision, I could have grown more.
Also, I have to constantly face naysayers
who feel a disabled person shouldnt work.
The underlying problem is people like the
status quo and dont like to challenge it. That
being said, there have been, at least, some
good leaders in every company who saw the
potential in me and gave me an opportunity
to prove myself. I am constantly growing at
my work, and the day I feel I am not, I will
move on and take on a new challenge. And
this is my advice to young professionals.

Self-growth should never stop. Every day you

learn something new.

One needs to constantly stay

updated about the latest trends in
the industry, which can involve a
lot of reading. How do you cope up
with that?
The last assignment I was doing was for
competency frameworks, which I didnt
know much about. I did a lot of research on
Google using the JAWS software, called up
a few friends who work in that field, and in
a few days I was up to date with the subject.
The only difference here is that I would have
to spend some more time to learn about a
subject than my sighted colleagues, but that
is a sacrifice I am happy to make.

What was your most memorable

moment?

Meeting former president APJ Abdul Kalam

to discuss technology initiatives for the visually impaired. His warmth and genuine desire
to help has stayed with me even till now.

Tell us about your family life

I have a wife and a 4 year old daughter. She

realises her dad cant see, and she is very sensitive about it. If I drop something, she picks
it up and gives it to me. My entire family
is very sweet and supportive. I wouldnt be
where I am without them.

What is beauty to you?

Beauty has different meanings to different

people. To me beauty is anything that gives
me satisfaction. A long walk, my daughters
laugh, meeting new people, these things are
beautiful to me.
neeraj.varty@corporatecitizen.com
December 1, 2014 / Corporate Citizen / 35