In 1999 the first children at the Apanjan Project in Calcutta were Prem, Raju and Ajay. It was 8 year old Raju who proved by far the most difficult child. Assessments were never quite accurate, his needs however crystal clear. That he hovered somewhere on the autistic spectrum was obvious, but his ability to connect, albeit on his own terms, was unusual and therefore it was decided that Raju was just Raju. At Apanjan the child thrived, always the centre of attention, his unbridled happiness infected every visitor and nobody got away without a friendly push and a smack. He never learned how to talk, he simply expressed no interest in words. The language was in his piercing eyes and they could speak volumes. We knew Raju was happy at Apanjan, he never hesitated to show us. A structured life of daily routines suited him well; he felt safe and loved and most importantly, Raju was allowed to be himself. Of course we harboured the hope that one day he would be able to tell us his real name, but Raju died far too young. In 2013 he did not survive a severe epileptic seizure. Everybody at Apanjan and the Banyan Trust was completely crushed. A light went out at Apanjan, forever.
RAJU
