ANNUAL REPORT

This report contains in a nutshell the yearlong activities conducted by our Association.

EDUCATION

4th January, 2008, an important day to the visually impaired people throughout the world, is the beginning of the bicentenary birth anniversary of Monsieur Louis Braille, inventor of the braille system. On this auspicious day a colossal library of braille, ink-print and audio books was duly inaugurated by Dr. Dilip Basu, former vice-chancellor of Tripura and Burdwan University, at 4 PM at Lal Bihari Shah Braille Academia, Malancha-Mahinagar, Kol: 700145. It marks the completion of the second phase of our braille press and library project. More than 3000 braille books are kept on the second floor of the building and more than 8000 ink-print books of various subjects are kept at the ground floor and more than 600 audio books including cassettes and CD are temporarily placed at the braille press room on the first floor.

To commemorate the great occasion a programme of two days was arranged by our Association. In the morning of 4th January a well-decorated prabhat feri of more than hundred students, members, volunteers and wellwishers of our Association rallied from the premises of the project to the Harinabhi bus stand. The meeting after the inauguration was presided over by Prof. Gurudayal Bandopadhyay, (K.G. Engineering College, Bishnupur, Former Head of the Dept. (Civil). Dr. Tulsi Ram (Chairperson of Centre for Russian & Central Asian Studies, Chief Advisor of Equal Opportunity Office. Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.) and Mr. Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay (Eminent Literateur) were among other important guests. On this occasion, three books--Raktakarabi by Rabindranath Tagore, Shaheed Bhagat Singh by Gurdev Singh Deol, and The Life and Work of Louis Braille by Pierre Henri-were duly published. Another attraction of the first day's programme was the felicitation to Mr. Shibabrata Sengupta, one of the advisers of Blind Persons' Association, for his lifelong contribution to the development of the education of the blind and to the building up of the Association. On the second day various cultural performances were organized by the students as well as by the members. It was presided over by Smt. Sudeshna Chakraborty (Head Mistress of Jadavpur Sanmilita Balika Vidyalaya). Smt. Indrani Bhattacharya, (President of Coal India Ltd. Officers' Wives Association) was present as the special guest to grace the occasion.

A well-known lift company, IBIJI, donated a lift in memory of Indu Bhushan Ghosh which was installed in the building of the project.

We are very glad to announce that we have completed the inner construction work of the second floor of the braille press and library project with the help of a grant of Rs. 5 lakhs from MPLADS fund sanctioned by Dr. Arjun Sengupta, honourable member of Rajya Sabha. This year he has further sanctioned another grant from the same fund to complete the remaining construction work of the third floor of the building. Meanwhile, honourable Dr. Sengupta visited the project on 2nd September, 2007. We have bought a piece of land of 14 kathas adjoining to the Academia with a view to expanding the project in future.

This year we have published quite a few important books in braille such as: Adhunik Eorope o Vishwa, a history book of higher secondary syllabus, The Role of Honour by Kali Charan Ghosh, Louis Braille Inventor by J. F. Bryant, biographies of Galilleo and Madam Kuri, Manusher Kahini (a Bengali translation of Manab Ki Kahani by Rahul Sankirtayan) and Tuntunir Bai by Upendra Kishor Roy Chowdhury as literature for children. Many publishers and wellwishers of our Association have kindly donated a number of valuable books to enrich our library.

The students' strength has been increased in our three blind schools-Helen Keller Smriti Vidyamandir, Tarun Memorial School for the Sightless and Najrul Smriti Dristihin Vidyalay. But in fact, we could not admit all the blind children who came to us due to the shortage of space in hostels.

This year Kamalendu Bhattacharya Memorial Scholarship has been given to seven students studying in class XI. Smt. Anasuya Banerjee Roy made a contribution here in memory of her late husband.

A two days' gathering including sightless students, volunteers and members of our Association was organized on 3rd and 4th of November, 2007 at Helen Keller Smriti Vidyamandir to discuss on some burning problems of the sightless people and on views and activities of our Association. All the participants took part in the discussion with eager enthusiasm.

An educational tour was organized at Bethuyadahari Reserve Forest including the students, teachers, staffs and volunteers of the three schools of our Association on 29th January, 2008.

CULTURAL AND SOCIAL ACTIVITIES

The foundation days of the three institutions-Nazrul Smriti Dristihin Vidyalay, Tarun Memorial School for the Sightless and Helen Keller Smriti Vidyamandir-of our Association were duly observed.

The 28th death anniversary of late Tarun Sengupta (former secretary of our Association) and the 10th death anniversary of late Kamalendu Bhattacharia (the then adviser) were observed with due respect on 7th September, 2007 and 8th February, 2008 respectively.

19th March, 2008 is the beginning of the death centenary of revolutionary martyr Charu Chandra Basu hanged for killing a notorious public prosecutor Ashutosh Biswas helped the British rulers to punish revolutionaries. He was an orthopedically handicapped with a deformed right hand devoid of palm and fingers. Nevertheless he tied the revolver on the wrist of that hand and pulling the trigger by the other hand he directly shot his victim to death on February 10, 1909. We paid homage to this great personality by arranging a solemn meeting on his martyr's day at Indumati Sabhagriha of National Council of Education at Jadavpur Vidyapith. Mr. Bijay Kumar Nag, secretary of Jayashri magazine, attended the meeting as a special guest, which was presided over by Dr. Priyatosh Khan, principal of Jogesh Chandra Chowdhury College. The day was also observed by Helen Keller Smriti Vidyamandir, one of our institutions at Krishnanagar, Nadia.

This apart, the martyr's day of Ksudiram Bose, an intransigent revolutionary of India's freedom movement, was observed with due respect. The organisation also paid homage to Lal Bihari Shah, the pioneer in the spread of education among the sightless people in this country, and the noble lady Helen Keller on the occasion of their birthday and demise day.

Rabindra-Nazrul Jayanti was duly organised both by Lal Bihari Shah Braille Academia on 25th May, 2007 and by Tarun Memorial School for the Sightless.

As a result of a joined venture of Blind Persons' Association and the authority of Indraprastha College a big seminar was held at Indraprastha College Seminar Room, New Delhi on 1st August, 2007 from 12.30 PM on the subject--The Invention of M. Louis Braille and Its Social Implication. Dr. V. M. Arora, the vice-principal of Indraprastha College, presided over the meeting. The speakers were Dr. Bharati Sarkar (Ex-reader of Delhi University), Mr. Dipendra Manocha (director of the computer centre of NAB, New Delhi), Mrs. Sonal Sena (director of the Shruti Information Centre, New Delhi) and Mr. Dipankar Roy (advicer of Blind Persons' Association). Besides, Mr. Dipankar Roy on behalf of our Association delivered a speech on the life and work of M. Louis Braille on 31st July, 2007 at Laksmibai College in a programme conducted by the college as a part of their NSS activities.

An annual cultural programme and prize distribution ceremony was held at Helen Keller Smriti Vidyamandir on 17th May, 2007 where Mr. Onkar Singh Mina, the honourable district magistrate of Nadia was present to grace the occasion.

We are glad to announce that a free medical service unit was started at Palpara, Nadia on 3rd December, 2007 specially with the initiative of Helen Keller Smriti Vidyamandir.

An All Bengal Swimming Competition of the Visually Handicapped was also organised by the Association at Rabindra Sarobar, Kolkata with the fullest support from Indian Life Saving Society on 25th August, 2007. Fifty-eight competitors from different parts of West Bengal took part in the competition.

A cricket team of our Association took part in an exhibition cricket match organised by Sabuj Sangha, Magrahat 24 Parganas (S) on 3rd February, 2008. The Association also participated in another cricket tournament organised by Society for the Welfare of the Blind and National Association for the Blind (Bengal Branch) held on 2nd March, 2008 at the play ground of Mitali Sangha, Garia, Kolkata.

An all Bengal competition of sports and athletics for the disabled was held on 29th January, 2008 at Krishnanagar organised by Helen Keller Smriti Vidyamandir.

AWARENESS CAMPAIGNING

An exhibition on Braille system was organised at Keshtapur Prafullakanan Deshapran Boys' School on 20th April, 2007 to make the students aware of the tactile system of reading and writing used by the blind throughout the world. Another exhibition of similar nature was held at the dept. of Education, University of Calcutta (Alipur Campus), where Mr. Shibabrata Sengupta, one of our advisers, delivered a lecture on the importance of braille system in the modern era. T S Sanatan High School at Gocharan 24 Parganas (S) arranged a programme at their institution for demonstrating braille system before the students with the help of our members on 29th December, 2007. We also participated in a science fair organised by Sanghati Mancha from 18/1/2008 to 20/1/2008 at Chatushkon Park, Mudi Ali Kolkata to display the Braille system through computer and other apparatus of geometry and a world map. Besides, like previous years this year too two exhibitions were organised during Durga Puja at Palli Mangal Samiti, Jadavpur and Adi Baligang Sarbajanin Durgotsab Committee at Deshapriya Park in Kolkata.

Members from our Association went to Yogomayadevi College and Nripendranath Girls' High School on 14th September, 2007 to deliver speeches on the life and work of the great lady Miss Helen Keller, an emblem of love, peace and optimism to all of us, before the students of those institutions. Another lecture on the same subject was given on behalf of our Association at Gnanadadevi Vidyapith High School on 12th October, 2007.

It should be mentioned that Senior students of Nripendranath Girls' High School and Jadavpur Sammilita Balika Vidyalay visited the Braille press and library project to be acquainted with the reading and writing system of the blind.

MOVEMENT

This year the College Service Commission had increased the examination fees of handicapped examinees for the State Eligibility Test from Rs. 250.00 to Rs. 500.00. Protesting the decision our Association arranged a mass deputation to the central office of the Commission on 14th June, 2007. After a discussion with our representatives and some examinees the Commission accepted our demands and withdrew the hiked fees. They also decleared that they would return the extra fees to those who had already submitted the money.

Buddhadeb Sikdar
General Secretary