Gangtok:4th Jan: To commemorate World Braille Day, which honors the birth anniversary of the visionary inventor Louis Braille, Akashvani News Gangtok and the Composite Regional Centre for Skill Development, Rehabilitation & Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Sikkim (CRC, Sikkim) under the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment joined hands to celebrate this special day.It marks significant milestone in empowering Persons with Visual Disabilities.
As part of the celebrations, Akashvani Gangtok today broadcast a special Braille news in Nepali, read by Sonam Diki Bhutia, a visually impaired divyangjan from Gyalshing, West Sikkim, who is currently working at JNMI Namchi under the Government of Sikkim, and assisted in arranging and recording by Subash Pakhrin. This initiative marks a significant milestone as it is the first time such a broadcast is being made in Akashvani Gangtok, honoring the spirit of Divyangjan.
Speaking on this occasion, Manas Pratim Sarma, Head of Regional News Unit, Akashvani, Gangtok, said, “This is a great occasion to encourage the good works of Divyangjans. Akashvani keeps doing programs for all sections of people. Ms. Sonam is highly motivated, and we are glad to have her read out a special bulletin on this occasion.”
Smt. Pushpanjali Gupta, Director, CRC, Sikkim, speaking about Braille, mentioned that it is a system of reading and writing used by persons with visual disabilities through touch, a communication bridge between persons with visual disabilities and the non-disabled world. “The credit goes to its inventor Louis Braille, whose birth anniversary we are celebrating today. If it wasn’t for Louis, PWDs would have lived a life in darkness,” she further added.
Speaking about the visionary inventor Louis Braille, Smt. Gupta mentioned that Louis Braille’s story is one of resilience and determination. Born on this day in the year 1809 in Paris, he became blind at 3 due to an accident, but his desire to connect with the sighted world led him to invent Braille. Despite initial rejection, he persevered and created a system that brought literacy to the blind. His legacy is celebrated on his birth anniversary, marking the birth of a great soul who brought light to the blind.
Speaking about today’s special broadcast on Akashvani Gangtok, CRC Director said, “We are here to tell the world that our state of Sikkim is not behind when it comes to empowering persons with visual disabilities. Persons with visual disabilities in Sikkim are also at par or maybe even more when it comes to working hand in hand with the sighted world as contributory members of society, living life with dignity.”
Adding further, she said, “So much so that on a platform like Akashvani Gangtok, they can read the news in Nepali Braille. In a world where connectivity is the key, this is a milestone indeed. This is a real achievement, so to say. It makes me proud as a service provider.”
She also took the opportunity to express her gratitude to Manas Pratim Sharma, Assistant Director, Akashvani, Gangtok, for collaborating on this significant achievement and thanked Dr. Lalit Narayan, Director, National Institute for Locomotor Disabilities (Divyanjan), Kolkata, for supporting this event. She also expressed her thanks to Sonam Diki Bhutia and JNM Institute for the Blind, Govt. of Sikkim, for their contributions.
Ms. Sonam Diki Bhutia, speaking about the experience, mentioned that it was one of a kind experience for her, as she had never done this before, and expressed her gratitude to Akashvani Gangtok and CRC Sikkim for this special initiative.
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