On Sankranti, the role of kites in Ved Mehta’s life
The acclaimed writer, who passed away on January 9, lost his sight at age 3. But he’d accompany his elder siblings when they flew kites, and started to learn how to get around based on his other senses. January 13, 2021 / 08:04 AM IST
Makar Sankranti will be observed on January 14. As is tradition, kites have started soaring and dipping in skies across India, like planes on a radar screen.
The sport played an important role in the development of Ved Mehta, the acclaimed author who passed away on January 9 at the age of 86. Mehta wrote a staggering 27 books and several articles over three decades for The New Yorker despite a condition that would have defeated a lesser man. He had been blind since the age of three. In 1982, Mehta’s work also won him what is often called a ‘genius grant’ - a MacArthur Fellowship worth $2,36,000.