Now in their 20s, the famous disabled young dancers who wowed India and the world level grave allegations against their mentor Syed Pasha, including sexual abuse and financial misappropriation
The troupe has been performing under Syed Sallauddin Pasha's aegis for over a decade
The guru-shishya culture is the most revered and trustworthy custom. But for Syed Sallauddin Pasha, that relationship holds little reverence. The pioneer of therapeutic theatre, who trains disabled children in mythological and Sufi dances, yoga and martial arts on wheels, has allegedly gypped 10 artistes — including a Guinness World Record holder - under his care of their rightful earnings through international talent shows, and sexually abused three of them.
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He allegedly threw them out on November 28 last year in violation of his own acceptance letter, leaving them penniless and on their own. The affected dancers, comprising seven polio-affected boys and three deaf and mute girls in the age group of 22-26 who put up three performances in the city over the last few weeks, opened up to mid-day right before boarding a train back to New Delhi on Saturday.
Syed Sallauddin Pasha
They revealed that Pasha pulled them out of school over a decade ago, deprived them of a fair remuneration for performing in international talent shows, and also sexually abused three deaf and mute girls amongst them. The girls were also allegedly forced to perform menial jobs in Pasha's Delhi-based not-for-profit organisation, Ability Unlimited Foundation.
Promising the moon
One of the youngsters, Arjun, said the seven boys hail from different parts of Uttar Pradesh. The girls are from Delhi. The boys were students of a school for children with special needs in Delhi when Pasha, a Bharatanatyam exponent, was invited to train them for the annual day function in 2003.
The troupe has been setting the national and international stage on fire with its performances
Pasha saw the potential in the seven boys' talent and convinced them and their families to let him take them under his wing. He assured the families of taking care of their education and providing them with a bright future. The families saw a way out of their poverty through Pasha's promises, said Gulshan Kumar, one of the youngsters who holds the Guinness World Record in the most spins in a wheelchair — 62 — in a minute.
In 2006, the school decided to send the boys on a month-trip talent tour to the US, the UK and Canada, and asked Pasha to accompany them. The little artistes were such a hit that Pasha took them out of school the next year and admitted them to his foundation. The boys said to date, the performance troupe has gone on over 1,000 national and international shows in Russia, the US, Canada, Italy (Venice and Milan), Nepal, UAE (Dubai), Oman (Muscat).
Gulshan Kumar, who holds a Guinness World Record. Pic/Sayeed Sameer Abedi
Used as money-spinners
But Pasha allegedly exploited their disability and talent to his advantage right from the get go. While the boys performed in 10-15 shows a month, they allegedly got a piddling remuneration of R500 a month till 2013.
"He pocketed all the proceeds from talent shows. During international shows, he kept a donation box seeing funds for our aid, but we never met any of the sponsors, mediapersons or benefactors. He kept all the cash awards," said Kumar. "During Diwali or Eid, we had to beg for money. Even then, he gave us only a few hundred rupees."
Pasha with social activist Anna Hazare and (right) actor Aamir Khan
The naïve youngsters wised up to his alleged treachery during a programme when the organiser handed over a dummy cheque of R2 lakh to Pasha. "We realised we were being taken for a ride with the R500 remuneration," revealed Kumar.
While the boys managed to get an official acceptance letter drawn up in 2013, according to which their pay went up to Rs 15,000, the three girls — who joined the troupe nine years ago — continued to be paid only R500 till they were shunted out last November.
Sexual misdemeanours
The deaf and mute girls, meanwhile, revealed much heinous misdemeanours. "He showed us adult movies on his phone and insisted on giving us body massages. He knew we were uncomfortable despite not being able to voice the distress out loud. Sometimes, he even gifted us undergarments," the girls gave in writing.
They said they kept mum out of respect for their guru. "Besides, given our condition, it would have been difficult to approach the police. We also didn't want to worry our parents," read the letter.
During hotel stays for performances, he allegedly made the girls stay with him in his room. Things finally came to a head on November 28 last year when Pasha threw the youths out of his foundation, without any means to fend for themselves. The group wants a thorough probe into their guru's dealings and bring him to book.
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