ANNUAL REPORT

Blind Persons' Association, an organization of the visually handicapped people of our society, established in 1946, has completed its diamond jubilee this year. The eventful sixtieth year of our Association is very important to all of us. This report contains in a nutshell the year-long activities conducted by our Association.

EDUCATION

With a view to revolutionise the education of the blind a colossal braille press and library project, Lal Bihari Shah Braille Academia, was set up at Malancha-Mahimnagar, Kol: 700145 on January 4, 2003 being duly inaugurated by late Dr. Sushil Kumar Mukherjee, renowned scientist, an educationist and former vice-chancellor of Kolyani and Calcutta university. We are glad to announce that we received a grant of Rs. 5 lakhs granted by Dr. Arjun Sengupta, honble member of Rajyasabha, from his MPLADS fun in February of this year. With this money we immediately started the remaining construction work of our four-storey building.

In this year we have published quite a few important books in braille including Indian history of higher secondary syllabus, Grihadaha, a novel by Sarat Chandra Chatterjee, biographies of Birsa Munda by Mahaswetadevi and Subhas Chandra by Suparna Bhattacharia, selected writings of Sukumar Roy as literature for children. Many publishers have generously donated a lot of important books covering various fields of study for our fast-growing library at Lal Bihari Shah Braille Academia.

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 places in hostels.

This year Kamalendu Bhattacharia Memorial Scholarship has been given to four visually handicapped students reading in class XI.

CULTURAL ACTIVITIES

This year the diamond jubilee celebration of our Association as well as the silver jubilee celebration of Helen Keller Smriti Vidyamandir has been duly observed through year-long activities—blood donation camps, seminars, cultural and sports competitions, cultural programmes etc.

A blood donation camp was organised on 23rd July, 2006 at Bharatchandra Granthagar Hall, Shyamnagar 24 Paraganas (N). More than 40 donors including 21 sightless members and some volunteers of our Association participated in the camp.

A seminar was conducted by the Association on 19th August, 2006 at H. L. Roy Memorial Hall, Institute of Chemical Engineering of Jadabpur University. Subject: Importance of Integrated and Special Education of Visually Handicapped children. The seminar was inaugurated by a renowned educationist and former education minister, Govt. of India, Dr. Pratap Chandra Chandra. On this occasion he released the braille edition of “Virsha Munda” by Mahaswetadevi embossed by Lal Bihari Shah Braille Academia.

An All Bengal Swimming Competition of the Visually Handicapped was also conducted by the Association at Rabindra Sarobar, Kolkata with the fullest support from Indian Life Saving Society on 26th August, 2006. More than 50 competitors from different parts of West Bengal took part in the competition. Mr. Masadur Rahaman Baidya, a famous swimmer, was the chief guest of the prize giving ceremony.

The concluding ceremony of diamond jubilee celebration was held on 17th March, 2007 at State Youth Centre (Moulali), Kolkata. It was a simple but joyful occasion attended by the students reading in our schools, wellwishers and sympathizers, and a good number of our members and volunteers of our Association. The evening of that day was full of songs, recitations, story telling, dances and drama performed by our students and members. Dr. Shibani Das, head of the department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, Netaji Subhas Engineering College, presided over the ceremony.

The silver jubilee of Helen Keller Smriti Vidyamandir was observed throughout the year with a series of programmes such as blood donation camp, seminar, cultural and sports competitions and various cultural performances. Worthmentioning, a bust of the noble lady, Miss Helen Keller, was set up at the school premises on an auspicious occasion of her 127th birthday, 27th June, 2006. It was unveiled by Dr. Lakshmi Narayan Mandal, former vice-chancellor of BidhanChandra Krishi Viswavidyalay. A coaching centre for deaf and dumb students was inaugurated on the same occasion. A reunion including the ex-students, colleagues, staffs and volunteers attached to the school from the beginning was held on 15th October, 2006. The annual prize giving ceremony of the school was held on 21st January, 2007 with the presence of Mr. Onkar Singh Mina, the honourable district magistrate of Nadia, and Mr. Swapan Kr. Mukherjee, biographer of Helen Keller. The concluding ceremony of silver jubilee celebration was held on 21st March,2007, the foundation day of Helen Keller Smriti Vidyamandir. Laying of the foundation stone for a medical center for health check up by Mr. Onkar Singh Mina added importance to the occasion.

We also offered our heart-felt homage to M. Louis Braille (inventor of braillesystem),Rev. Lal Bihari Shah (pioneer of education for the blind in India), Charu Chandra Basu (physically handicapped freedom fighter) on the one hand and great personalities like Vidyasagar, Rabindranath, Sharatchandra, Najrul Islam on the other.

The 27th death anniversity of late Tarun Sengupta (former secretary of our Association) and the 9th death anniversity of late Kamalendu Bhattacharia (thethen advicer) were observed with due respect.

An all Bengal sports competition including athletic, cricket and football organised by

Helen Keller Smriti Vidyamandir was held from 1st to 3rd February, 2007 as a part of its silver jubilee celebration. The institute also partook national sports meet organised by Indian Blind Sports Association in New Delhi on December, 2006.

AWARENESS CAMPAIGN

With a view to spread awareness in our society on the educational system of the blind we arranged two exhibitions at Pallimangal Samiti and at Deshapriya Park, Kolkata, at the time of Durga Puja. A programme consisting of a seminar on education of the blind and an exhibition on braille system was held at Salt Lake B. Ed. College. Students from B. Ed. Section in Scottish Church College visited Lal Bihari Shah Braille Academia to see the braille system. Calcutta University has included social work in the curriculum of B. Ed. Course. We appreciate this initiative as it will help increase awareness and the sense of social responsibility towards the challenged people among the would-be teachers.