This 8-time Member of Parliament is undeterred by Vitiligo
Santosh Gangwar is living with vitiligo having visible white areas on his body. But, this skin imperfection didn’t stop him from becoming India’s one of the most senior and successful politicians. He is a Member of Parliament for a record eight times and held key portfolios as cabinet minister in the Government of India on several occasions.
Read more: Chandrababu Naidu got Vitiligo
He may have a small body frame, but got a heart of ‘steel’. Having embraced vitiligo as a part of life, his passion for doing good for the society and perseverance to fight against odds, has made him one of the most successful politicians in the history of Indian politics.
Vitiligo is an autoimmune skin condition that affects around 0.5-2.0% of the population all over the globe. The faulty immune system attacks the pigment producing skin cells that give natural color to the skin and hairs. These skin cells, also known as melanocytes, are damaged and result in loss of skin color in the form of white patches on the body.
Medically, vitiligo is non-communicable and non-painful, but the stigma surrounding it is the real pain. In recent years the vitiligo awareness has increased considerably, but in a country like India, where physical appearance of a person is given a lot of importance in the overall personality, it is still considered a rare skin condition and living with vitiligo can be hard sometimes.
Sometimes, people with vitiligo develop poor body-image and low self-esteem because they look different than others. The inspiring life stories of Santosh Singh Gangwar can be an instant dose of hope and motivation for those people.
Born on 1st November 1948 in a village near Bareilly, Santosh Gangwar is a law graduate who started his political career in student politics and rose through the ranks to become a prominent name in the Indian politics.
Known for his simplicity, honesty and soft-spoken nature, Mr. Gangwar is a grassroots politician, who is considered a people’s leader and a man of ideas and action in Bareilly. Winning for a record 8 times from the same constituency indicates his popularity among the people of his constituency. In the 2014 general election, he won by a margin of over 2.4 lakh votes over his rival candidate and in 2019, the margin was almost 1.7 lakh votes.
Read more: West Indies Cricketer John Campbell got Vitiligo
Santosh Gangwar didn’t allow vitiligo to affect his confidence
People of Bareilly have voted for Mr. Gangwar time and again because they believe in his abilities to do good for them.
Do you think they would have voted for an insecure person who is conscious of his appearance?
Definitely not!
Confidence is the key to a successful career in politics.
His illustrious political career is an indication that he has accepted vitiligo as a part of his life and focus on the things that matters to win people’s trust. He must have realized that people would overlook those vitiligo lesions on his body if he continues to remain humble and take right decisions in their interest.
Santosh Gangwar’s experiences are no different to anyone else with vitiligo
Mr. Gangwar doesn’t come from a political family. He has made it on his own.
Occasional discrimination, public stares and negative comments- he has faced it all. But he never gave up.
Politics is all about connecting with people. With a visible skin condition, one might find it overwhelming to be continuously surrounded by people and cameras. But that isn’t the case for Gangwar. He hasn’t let his skin become an obstruction in his journey. His story and the confidence with which he has embraced his skin serves as a sense of empowerment and encouragement to the people living with the same condition nationwide as well as globally.
Mr. Gangwar does not shy away from talking about vitiligo
Santosh Gangwar doesn’t seem to try cover or conceal his vitiligo spots with cosmetic creams. Whether he meets the people of his constituency or the national and international dignitaries, he wears vitiligo with confidence. Also, he has been a strong advocate of social awareness about vitiligo to minimize its psychological impact on the people living with it.
“I have tried different treatments. Even though no proper cure for Vitiligo exists till now, one should focus more on the mental and psychological well being because vitiligo affects the mind more than the skin.”
Don’t let vitiligo become your identity
Mr. Santosh is a living example that you don’t need your skin to define you, do your job and let your work speak for itself.
He urges people with vitiligo to stay hopeful and strong and believe in themselves above all.
If you were doubtful of achieving your life-goals due to vitiligo, Santosh Gangwar’s life story of hard work, determination and self-belief will definitely motivate you to give up the negativity and chase your dreams.
Signing off with some beautiful words by Dushyant Kumar that Gangwar once quoted.
“कौन कहता है आसमान में सुराख़ नहीं हो सकता।एक पत्थर तो तबीयत से उछालो यारों”
(Nothing is impossible if one tries with hard work and determination)
