Dear Uncle Louis, I am happy to celebrate the 203rdh anniversary of your birth and would like to gratefully acknowledge your contribution in my life. In fact, it is only due to you that I am what I am today. You probably could not have imagined at the time when you created a totally new script the monumental development that it was. But let me assure you that you are God for most of us especially in places where people are not living in palaces and owning large properties. Your script is the greatest gift that has been bestowed upon us.
In these days of so-called modernization, it has become fashionable to look down upon your invention as either out of date or even worse archaic but those that talk that way do not realize what mistakes they are committing. In fact, it is only through your contribution that more and more of us who are deprived of light have been experiencing the divine light and live our lives with fair amount of success. I have always believed that even when people will give up your script (hopefully that day will never come) you will still have won as the contribution that you have made in our lives is indelible. Even today when computers and other media have come about people are still talking of Electronic Braille displays. And yes, there is no alternative for reading and writing and no other technology will equip the poorest of the poor amongst the blind to access the printed word. Let me thank you for the immeasurable hours of pleasure you have given to fill my solitude with the treasures of the creation of the greatest authors and poets resulting in broadening the vistas of my knowledge. You have filled void in my life on days when I had given up on life and only through reading some of the greatest works of literature I have been inspired to continue. On another note, in the world filled with parochial conflicts, uncle Louis, yours is probably the only script that can be written in any language of the world and if it were used by all we would rid the world of the conflicts that have created havoc in our lives. I am extremely pained to read about the treatment meted out to you in your lifetime but unfortunately the world is a place where mere mortals have always failed to recognize great souls and later worshipped them as Gods. There has been a fashion to find out alternatives for your script but let me assure you that those of us who have benefitted by your invention will never let this happen. Braille has a place that is very difficult to be taken by anyone, least of all by scripts that are very rudimentary. Dear uncle, on this 200th anniversary of yours, let me share with you one secret: the linguistic skills that I possess have all been developed by you and had it not been for you I cannot imagine my status. I am horrified when I hear that these days’ children are discouraged from learning “literacy” but as Jesus Christ had said: God forgive them for they know not what they are doing. I hope that God will send you back amongst us and save my brethren. People are not even aware of the immense loss that they are suffering. May God let the better senses prevail. I cannot thank you enough for making me what I am and let me assure you that till the last day of my life I will work for the propagation of your great script and will create awareness amongst all classes of people about its efficacy and utility. May God grant you the highest place in his divine abode and may you come to us one more time to recreate the great atmosphere for the literacy of my brethren. -- Ketan Kothari Phone: [r] 24223281, Cell: 9987550614 MSN ID: muktake...@hotmail.com Skype ID: Ketan3333 Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/ To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in