Fr Thomas Felix CMI (1936-2023) is the founder of All Kerala Association for Mentally Retarded (AKAMR) and the Director of Central Institute on Mental Retardation (CIMR) working for more than 50 years for educating and rehabilitating the Intellectually Challenged children. He is also a philanthropist and an internationally acclaimed special educator. Fr. Felix is the pioneer in the field of special education in Kerala. He completed his graduate and post graduate studies in Duquesne University in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, U.S.A on social sciences with special reference to the plight of the intellectually challenged. He had also completed a short term management course from Birmingham University.
Adjectives are insufficient to describe the person of Rev. Fr. Thomas Felix CMI, who lived successful fifty eight years of life as a priest of Christ, committing himself totally to the cause of a section of the society who were otherwise neglected and marginalized. He worked for them, fought for their rights, lived for their upliftment, advocated for equal opportunities for them, shared everything that he had for them and paved a way for their development. He succeeded in ensuring them a suitable place in the society, respecting their dignity and realizing their worth.
Think of a time, more than five decades back, when people were not aware of the problems of intellectual disability, parents were unaware of what can be done to their children with intellectual disability, society was insensitive to the needs of the persons with intellectual disability, teachers were not available to train them and government had no planning or budget to meet the needs of people living with various disabilities. Fr. Thomas Felix started his crusade for this neglected section of the society against this discrimination in the society, in 1971, in such a situation with a sea of challenges. He faced all these challenges with a brave heart and strong will. No amount of negative experiences- oppositions, non-cooperation, financial constraints, lack of facility and infrastructure, series of attacks etc.- affected or dissuaded him from his strong determination and his commitment to the Lord. His strong faith in the providence of God guided him and supported him firmly. In moments of failures and success, he used to exclaim “God’s ways are mysterious”.
Incomparable are the contributions of Fr. Thomas Felix in the area of disability rehabilitation in India. He displayed in his life the worth of a human person, the effectiveness of living in the society, contributing to the needs of the society. “Less ability does not make a person less human” is his catching word- giving equal worth to every human person. This sense of equality was the result of his intense God experience. This God experience led him always to work relentlessly in spite of all odds in life. Evidently, the path was not so smooth for Fr. Felix in his journey to his destination. But even when he treaded the hard path full of thorns and stones he was firm in his conviction and commitment. Only a person whose life is built upon rock, strong faith, can withstand such adverse experiences of storm and flood. As Jawaharlal Nehru puts it “success often comes to those who dare and act; it seldom goes to the timid”.
Fr. Felix started his crusade for the Intellectually Challenged in 1971, starting Asha Bhawan at Changanacherry, near Kottayam, the first special school. It was a time when there were no special educators available in Kerala. With the help of the Archbishop and the superiors of a few religious congregations, he selected a couple of religious sisters whom he sent for special training at different training centres in India. Along with that he himself wanted to get trained. He visited several special education and training centres in India and abroad, equipped himself with vast knowledge and wide experience.
Enthusiastic with his wide experience and knowledge young Fr. Thomas Felix started Asha Kendram at Ernakulam, the industrial capital of Kerala and CIMR (Central Institute on Mental Retardation) at Trivandrum, the administrative capital of Kerala, in 1980. He also started the AKAMR (All Kerala Association for the Mentally Retarded) as the mother organization for all the activities for the disabled, he envisioned. CIMR is the executive wing of AKAMR, through which a series of activities were carried out in Kerala and throughout India which brought the organization and its director into national attention. Several are the contributions of Fr. Thomas Felix through this organization across the country.
From field experience and relentless search for the latest know-how, aided by participation in World Congresses and study tours to Institutions, Research Centers and most of all, by personal involvement with hundreds of concerned families, Fr. Felix was set to evolve and test with outstanding results the successful potential of his Three Cs philosophy, which ensures speedy normalization of intellectually challenged persons, and brings much needed relief to the parents.
He was on a mission with vision. In this mission his achievements are so many. All his achievements were undoubtedly for the rehabilitation and education of intellectually challenged children and prove to others that they are “Not Less Than You”.
