Late in the night, after darshan had concluded, Amma met an inspiring man whose life itself is a message of courage, resilience, and joy. At around 11:15 pm, Amma lovingly received Sai Kaustuv Dasgupta, a 37-year-old from Bengal, who had come to Amritapuri along with his parents.
From early childhood, Sai Kaustuv has been living with a very rare brittle bone condition, due to which he has endured more than fifty fractures over his lifetime. He is unable to stand or sit upright and remains confined to an electric wheelchair at all times. Yet, resting his head gently on the chair, with a radiant smile lighting up his face, he exuded a deep inner bliss that touched everyone present.
Using just two fingers of his left hand, Sai Kaustuv skillfully navigates his wheelchair and engages with the world. With the same two fingers, while lying down, he uses a computer mouse and virtual keyboard to write, create designs, and work professionally—breaking free from the walls of physical limitation through sheer determination and grace.
Sai Kaustuv had come to Amritapuri to participate in the AI-Enabled Assistive Technologies for Inclusive Education program, organized as part of the “AI for Inclusion & Social Good” pre-summit events. The gathering was hosted by the UNESCO Chair on Assistive Technologies in Education at Amrita University, Amritapuri Campus, on January 12 and 13, as an official pre-event of the AI Impact Summit 2026 India, under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India.
Despite facing severe hearing impairment, Sai Kaustuv is also a gifted Hindustani classical singer, with over 300 compositions to his credit. His mother, who taught him music from a young age, nurtured his innate talent with love and patience. That night, as an offering of gratitude, he sang a beautiful classical Devi bhajan for Amma. Amma listened attentively and joyfully to his sweet and heartfelt rendition.
Deeply inspired by his own journey, Sai Kaustuv has dedicated his life to motivational work and happiness coaching. Calling himself the “Wheelchair Warrior of India,” he actively advocates for a wheelchair-friendly India and has been persistently engaging with the United Nations on disability inclusion within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals. His mission is to ensure representation, dignity, and accessibility for persons with disabilities.
During their interaction, Amma gently advised him to continue travelling and inspiring people, while carefully preserving his self-confidence and inner energy. Amma reminded him not to brood over the past or question why suffering occurred, explaining that each soul is born with its own debts from past actions (prarabdha) and that it must be exhausted in this life. Amma encouraged him to focus only on what he can do and to remain happy.
Even amidst his many challenges, Sai Kaustuv expressed a heartfelt desire to serve more people and asked Amma for opportunities to serve her initiatives as a global spiritual leader and humanitarian. Though bound to a wheelchair, his heart overflows with the wish to give.
His life stands as a quiet yet powerful lesson to all—especially to those who constantly complain about life. In Sai Kaustuv Dasgupta, one sees that true freedom lies not in the body, but in the spirit.
