Dear Pradeep, I am chirag and meaning is almost same. The light that sighted see is nothing but only a medium that acts as interface to access your goals. The Diwali mela is also a medium to reach towards our goals like showcasing our abilities, attaining happiness and social belongingness. So, tell the world that though I lost my eyesight but I got my vision. The vision of living with dignity,meaningfully and good life.
On 10/15/17, avinash shahi via Ai <ai@accessindia.inclusivehabitat.in> wrote: > Pradeep Jyoti Gogoi, 24, is not comfortable with his name. The problem > , he says, is Pradeep means lamp and Jyoti means light, and he is > completely blind. > “I do not like people asking my name, which is opposite to the reality > of my life. It is darkness, not light, that defines me,” he says, as > he folds a > colourful paper into a carry bag. > http://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi-news/blind-students-light-up-diwali-for-delhi-s-residents/story-VSPo9yrygQtUfpb4eW5DqI.html > After a silence of few seconds, he speaks again. “When I tell people > my name, generally there are no more questions, no further inquiry > into my life. People > are left speechless,” says Pradeep, his face pensive. He says he > suffered from a retinal degenerative disease and lost vision at 15. > > “I cannot blame my parents for giving this name. I was not born blind. > I read , wrote, played football, saw all colours of life,” says > Pradeep sitting > at the end of a large table inside a high-ceiling hall where a multi > skill vocational training centre is run by The Blind Relief > Association, a 73-year > old non-governmental organization in Delhi. > > For Arun Kumar Lohra, 18, who lost sight at 12 , Diwali is the only > time that reminds him of a life that once was full of light. (Sanchit > Khanna/HT PHOTO) > > The ground floor of the multi-skill training centre, divided into > different sections, has hundreds of big plastic baskets filled with > candles, paper products, > cloth accessories made by the blind and visually impaired. And they > are selling like hot cakes at the Diwali Bazaar, one of the city’s > most famous festival > markets, organised at the Blind Relief Association’s campus. > > There are about 30 youngsters at the paper products training section, > both boys and girls, some of them wearing dark glasses; most, like > Pradeep, fully > blind, and some partially sighted. > > Diwali, the festival of light, brings a curious mix of memories and > feelings to the 400 visually impaired people—children and adults—who > live in the sprawling > 2-acre campus of The Blind Relief Association, which also runs the JPM > senior secondary school for the blind and a college that imparts a > bachelor’s degree > in special education. > > For Arun Kumar Lohra, 18, who lost sight at 12 , Diwali is the only > time that reminds him of a life that once was full of light. He says > he was in the > fifth class when one day he felt a loss of vision, and within the next > couple of days went completely blind. “Suddenly, my world turned dark. > It took me > a couple of months to come to terms with my blindness. Diwali is one > day when I wish I could get back my sight. I used to have lots of fun > with my friends, > lighting candles, bursting crackers,” says Lohra. > > “It is particularly difficult when you remember it all, the world with > all its colours,” he says. Lohra who could only study up to Class 5, > wants to be > a computer operator. > > Diwali, the festival of light, brings a curious mix of memories and > feelings to the 400 visually impaired people—children and adults—who > live in the sprawling > 2-acre campus of The Blind Relief Association. (Sanchit Khanna/HT PHOTO) > > The campus is full of the stories of blind children and youngsters > determined to reclaim their lives after the loss of vision that left > them a world without > shades, shapes and shadows, a world where the sound and touch are the > only signs of life. > > Karan Singh, 19, who lost sight when he was 3, says he wants to be a > Collector. He will be appearing for Class 12 UP Board examination in > February. He > has studied through audio CDs and will write examination with the help > of a writer. Talking of his blindness, he says that he had developed > poor vision > in his eyes and his parents took him to a doctor, a quack, at Sitapur. > > “He put some medicine in my eyes and bandaged them. My parents says > when I opened my eyes, I could not see anything. I had become blind,” > he says. Talking > of festival of light , he says , though he cannot see the light, he > can feel the gaiety and the celebrations. “At times my brother helps > me light a few > crackers, I love the rockets,” says Karan, who will be going to his > native Faizabad for Diwali. “I go alone, asking, touching and feeling > my way, though > it is humiliating at times.” > > In fact, not many students—mostly from the underprivileged sections of > society-- know the real reason for their impaired vision. Ravindra > Singh Kanwar, > 19, from Koriya district in Chhattisgarh, says he developed cataract > at the age of 10 . His parents took him to a doctor in Janakpur > village . “ Doctor > told us that I had cataract , which could not be treated because it > was too late,” says Ravindra, who has studied up to Class 10. > > Vandana Gupta 18, from Vanarasi, does not know how she became blind. “ > My mother told me I became severely ill at 4 and soon lost vision,” > she says. She > does not want to go home this Diwali because her father beats up her > mother, a vegetable vendor and takes her earnings, Vandana says. > > Vandana Gupta 18, from Vanarasi, does not know how she became blind. > (Sanchit Khanna/HT PHOTO) > > “I want to get some job to help my ageing mother. I feel comfortable > here in the hostel, “ says Vandana, sitting at the table, filling > orange wax into > a cast at the candle making section. Next to her, are several big > orange candles. “I am happy that the candles I make will light up > someone’s Diwali.” > > In fact , not just Vandana, the vocational training centre is the > place where most of the visually impaired feel comfortable. It is the > place, as Gogoi > says, where everyone is the same, living the same life. “Before I came > here, I thought only my world is dark. But here I realised that there > are thousands > like me. Here together we fight the darkness and learn to navigate the > world,” says Gogoi. > > As many as 8.8 million people in India were found to be blind in 2015 > and another 47.7 million people had moderate and severe vision > impairment, according > to a study published online in August by The Lancet Global Health > journal. Worldwide, there are an estimated 36 million blind people. > India is home to > almost a quarter of the world’s blind population. > > Experts feel that there is a direct relationship between poverty and > blindness and in majority of cases blindness is avoidable. > > Beula Christy, head, Dr PRK Prasad Centre for Rehabilitation of Blind > and Visually Impaired, at LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, says > that the institute > conducted a study on 8 lakh visually impaired children in India and > found that almost 66% of them belonged to underprivileged sections of > society. > > Beula Christy, head, Dr PRK Prasad Centre for Rehabilitation of Blind > and Visually Impaired, at LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, says > that the institute > conducted a study on 8 lakh visually impaired children in India and > found that almost 66% of them belonged to underprivileged sections of > society. (Sanchit > Khanna/HT PHOTO) > > “Visual impairment is widespread among children born to > underprivileged woman married at an early age. Preterm children or low > birth weight children should > be scanned for eye problems. Early intervention in children with > vision impairment is key to avoid blindness,” said Christy. > > Talking of employment opportunities, she says, the private sector > needs to do more. “They are capable of doing anything and everything, > which is not directly > related to sight, not many employers from the private sector are > coming forward to give them jobs,” says Christy. > > Agrees K C Pande, executive secretary, Blind Relief Association: “A > lot of people approach us wishing to donate food. But what they need > to understand > is that our students are not beggars. They are self-respecting and > talented and what they need are jobs, not food. Many of our students > have proved themselves > in various fields,” says Pande. “While hospitality industry has given > jobs to the deaf, the blind still have to struggle to find > employment.” > > As we talk, many visitors to the Diwali Mela walk in to see the blind > at work and marvel at their creativity. It is 5 pm, time for a small > snack break. > Before leaving the hall, Pradeep approaches us and says, this time his > mood upbeat, his body language much more confident. “One day, I shall > live up to > my name and spread light like a lamp. I know there are many who have > attained greatness without the gift of sight. I can do it too.” > article end > > > -- > Avinash Shahi > Doctoral student at Centre for Law and Governance JNU > Celebrating International sight day Oct. 12 and World White Cane day Oct 15 > > Disclaimer: > 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the > person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; > > 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails > sent through this mailing list.. > > > > To check if the post reached the list or to search for old posting, reach: > https://www.mail-archive.com/ai@accessindia.inclusivehabitat.in/maillist.html > _______________________________________________ > > > Ai mailing list > Ai@accessindia.inclusivehabitat.in > http://accessindia.inclusivehabitat.in/mailman/listinfo/ai > Celebrating International sight day Oct. 12 and World White Cane day Oct 15 Disclaimer: 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails sent through this mailing list.. To check if the post reached the list or to search for old posting, reach: https://www.mail-archive.com/ai@accessindia.inclusivehabitat.in/maillist.html _______________________________________________ Ai mailing list Ai@accessindia.inclusivehabitat.in http://accessindia.inclusivehabitat.in/mailman/listinfo/ai
