Every year, to celebrate
left-handers in a world dominated by right-handers, and to raise awareness
about everyday issues that lefties face, August 13 is marked as ‘International
Left Handers Day’. The day, which honours ‘sinistrality’ or left-handedness,
was first observed in 1976 by Dean R. Campbell, the founder of Left-Handers
International Inc., and has been celebrated every year since.
Studies show that around 10 per
cent of the world’s population is left-handed, with men more likely being so.
Famous Left-Handed Personalities
According to the Indian Left
Hander Club, the country’s famous left-handers include Mahatma Gandhi, Mother
Teresa, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, actors Amitabh Bachchan and Rajinikanth,
cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and industrialist Ratan Tata.
Other famous left-handed
personalities include scientist Sir Isaac Newton, French leader Napoleon
Bonaparte, painter Pablo Picasso, former US President Barack Obama and media
personality Oprah Winfrey.
Left-Handed Troubles
Throughout the ages, natural
left-handers have faced several disadvantages. In several cultures, including
in India, such persons have faced discrimination owed to superstitions, and
have often been punished to “cure” their left-handedness.
A prominent example is Britain’s
former monarch George VI, who was born left-handed but was forced to use his
right hand. It is believed that his famous stammering problem– subject of the
2010 film ‘The King’s Speech’– is attributable to this compulsion he faced in
childhood.
The historical bias against
left-handers is best reflected by the English word ‘sinister’, synonymous with
evil or menacing; its Latin root ‘sinestra’ meaning ‘on the left’.
Among the everyday struggles that
left-handers continue to face are while using objects designed for right-handed
folk, such as scissors, keyboards, right-handed desks, guitars, and even video
game consoles.
On August 13, many left-handers take to social media to celebrate their uniqueness as well to express their grievances.