Meet Gattipally Shivpal, Who Has Become India’s First Dwarf to Get a Driving License | Watch
Hyderabad: Beating all odds, Gattipally Shivpal, who hails from Hyderabad, has become India’s first dwarf to obtain a driver’s license. The 42-year-old man with a height of about three feet has become the first to complete his degree as a handicapped in his district Karimnagar. Notably, Shivpal finished his degree in 2004. He has now decided to start a driving school next year for physically handicapped people.
Speaking to ANI, Shivpal said: “People used to tease me because of my height and today I am nominated for The Limca book of records and many others. Many short people are contacting me for driving training.”
Telangana | A Hyderabad man, Gattipally Shivpal becomes the first dwarf to receive a Driving license in India. Gattipally Shivlal is 42 years old and about 3 feet tall. He finished his degree in 2004 &was the first to complete the degree as a handicapped in his district. pic.twitter.com/phfhdT4oi8
— ANI (@ANI) December 4, 2021
The journey wasn’t easy
Shivpal presently works at a private firm here and says that he came to Hyderabad in 2000. “I am the eldest sibling and the only dwarf in the family,” he added. Narrating his struggles with finding a job to sustain himself in the city, Shivpal said that he featured in a movie and a daily soap initially but could not sustain in the industry for long.
“People were not ready to offer me a job as I was handicapped. Through a friend, I got a job in a private company and now I have been working here for the past 20 years,” he said.
“To commute, whenever I booked cabs, they used to cancel the ride. When I used to go out with my wife, people passed bad comments. That’s when I decided to own a car and ride it,” he added.
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Enthusiastic to learn to drive, Shivpal surfed the internet and found a video uploaded by a man in the US. It explained to him the modifications required in a car to lift the seat and other equipment up to his height. After getting a car modified, Shivpal learnt car driving from a friend. However, his struggles did not end here, as getting a license posed another challenge as the transport department had certain guidelines for height.
Shivpal said that after appealing to the authorities, he obtained a learner’s license for three months and then received a driver license after giving a proper driving test with an official sitting beside him. “Everybody has some fault in them, but finding your hidden talents and achieving them is what matters,” he remarked.
(With ANI inputs)