The staff at the Blind Relief Association never fail to welcome a new year without a game of lucky draw. What has become a tradition over the years, continues to spark curiosity and fun for the staff who gather together over some chai and pakodas on the afternoons of the first day of the year.
World Braille Day
The 214th birth anniversary of Louis Braille, commonly observed as World Braille Day was celebrated at the Blind Relief Association too on 4 January 2023. Mr. Rajendra Das, an alumnus of JPM Senior Secondary School and retired Principal of Govt. Senior Secondary School was invited to be the Chief Guest of the event.
At the event, prizes were handed out to the winners of the Braille reading and writing competitions held. The trainees from Durgabai Deshmukh College of Special Education, Computer Training Center & Vocational Training Center shared the different aspects of Braille. Megha Thakur, B.Ed II year trainee shared the biography of Braillle, and Rishika Rana, a B.Ed II year trainee highlighted the relevance of Braille. Sulekha, a trainee pursuing Diploma in Computer Education recited a poem, and Mr. Sumit Mehto, Computer Trainer facilitated a discussion on Braille and Technology. The event also engaged the audience comprising the students of JPM School, trainees of different units, and the staff through a quiz.
Purple Fest
Mr. David, Hony. General Secretary of the Indian Blind Sports Association and Dy. Executive Secretary (Operations) of the Blind Relief Association participated in the Purple Fest as one of the panelists in a discussion on sports for disabled persons.
The other panelists were Dr. Deepa Malik, President PCI; Mr. George Abraham, CEO Score Foundation; Mr. Charudatta Jadhav, President - All India Chess Federation for the Blind; and Mr. Victor R Vaz, National Sports Director of Special Olympics Bharat.
The Purple Fest Goa held from 6-8 January was the first-ever inclusive festival for persons with disabilities hosted by the Goa State Commission for Persons with Disabilities.
At Home Reception
Mr.Abhishek Thakur, an alumnus of JPM Senior Secondary School and a member of the Association's Managing Committee was invited to the At Home Reception hosted by the Hon'ble President of India on Republic Day at the Rashtrapti Bhavan. Mr. Thakur had the pleasure and honor of meeting with the Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narender Modi, Hon'ble Minister of Finance Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman among many other dignitaries.
Martyrs Day & StoryHour Book Launch
On 30 January - Martyrs Day, the Blind Relief Association's students, trainees, and staff gathered together in the evening to observe the death anniversary of Gandhiji and other sacrificial freedom fighters. Along with reciting prayers of seven different faiths such as Zoroastrian, Jain, Buddhist, Hindu, Islamic, Christian, and Sikh, the gathering observed a minute of silence at 5:17 pm when Gandhiji was assassinated.
Later in the evening, the Hindi audiobook of 'A Brief History of Indian Independence' was launched in the Gandhi Centenary Hall of the Association.
The special guests for the evening were Ms. Varsha Das, writer; Shri Sopan Joshi, author; Ms. Radhika Bharat Ram, Jt Secretary (B.R.A.) and Shri Sanjay Rai, General Secretary, Harijan Sevak Sangh The guests along with Ms. Neelima Penumarthy, Producer - StoryHour UK, Dr. Sharda Manocha, Translator; and the two students of the Blind Relief Association, Delhi - Ankit Singh (Class XII) Rishika Rana II year B.Ed who lent their voice to this audiobook, shared their journey of having worked on the book. The well-known author and Director of London's Nehru Centre Mr. Amish Tripathi conveyed his greetings and wishes by connecting online from the UK. The authors of the book (in English) Ayur Pulle and Aarush Kumbhakern also joined the program online.
Annual Picnic
The excitement of getting to go for the annual picnic after two years woke our boys as early as 3 am on 4 February!
The Annual Picnic of the Blind Relief Association is nothing less than a jumbo event where the students, trainees, staff, alumni, volunteers, families, and friends numbering close to 800 people gather for a day-long fun.
This year, the picnic was organized at Nehru Park in Chanakyapuri where the wide lawns and the warm winter sun embraced us for a pleasant day. Games, music, dance, walks, chats, photographs, and food with the Association's iconic carrot halwa were some of the highlights of the day.
Basant Panchami and Saraswati Puja
Basant Panchami and Saraswati Puja were mainly organized by Class X students of JPM Senior Secondary School at the Blind Relief Association on 14 February 2023 with puja, prayers, and music. Later, prashad was distributed to all the staff members by the students. This is one of the three festivals that are solely organized by school students.
Inauguration of Manju Bharat Ram Block
Marking a major expansion of its facilities a New Block of Building of the Blind Relief Association, Delhi was inaugurated by Shri Hardeep Singh Puri, Hon’ble Minister of Housing & Urban Affairs and Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India on 16 February 2023 at 12 noon.
Shri Arun Bharat Ram, President along with the other Managing Committee Members of the Association were also present on this occasion. The gathering also consisted of friends and well-wishers of the Association.
Shri Hardeep Singh Puri enjoyed interacting with the students and trainees and was keen to listen to their dreams and plans. He toured the New Building and also visited the Vocational Training Unit before attending the Ceremony in Gandhi Hall.
The New Building named ‘Manju Bharat Ram Block’ is dedicated in memory of the Association’s former Hony. General Secretary (Late) Smt. Manju Bharat Ram. This is in honor of her long involvement and distinguished services on various fronts of the Association. Her headship and keenness serve as a firm pillar of strength in the development and progress of the Association.
The 800 sq. m. new block has been designed using sustainable architectural principles. While the first and second floors will be utilized for educational and vocational training activities, the third floor will cater to the requirements of women with visual disability. The new block also houses a library and resource center for educational and multi-disciplinary research and development activities.
Remembering the Founders
19 February 2023 was the 74th "punyatithi" of Shri Umesh Basrurker, the founder of The Blind Relief Association, Delhi, who passed away on this day in 1959.
A "Havan" was performed in his memory. Students, trainees, and staff members including Shri Kuriyan, Principal, and Shri Mohanan, Dy. Executive Secretary (Admin) participated.
Paying tributes Executive Secretary Shri Pande narrated the story of the formation of the Association and the noble mission and vision of Basrurkers.
Livelihood Kit Distribution Ceremony
The third Livelihood Kit Distribution Ceremony was held on 25 February in the New Block of the Blind Relief Association. In this Ceremony, 17 Massage Kits & 2 Sewing Machines were handed over to the graduated vocational trainees. In addition to this, 29 vocational trainees received their training completion certificates.
The Ceremony also served as an opportunity to honor the volunteers - Ms. Jolly and Ms. Alka, who have been assisting the trainees. Ms. Jolly has been teaching anatomy and physiology to relaxation massage trainees since 2016 and Ms. Alka has been teaching communication since 2021.
A few trainees also shared their experience at the training and expressed their gratitude to the Association.
ICT Classes
Mrs. Neelu Suneja, Head of IT, and Mr. Rajpal, Supervisor (Diploma in Computer Education) were invited to deliver a lecture to the B.Ed students of Jamia Millia Islamia on ICT in Inclusive Education. The sessions were spread over two days - 28 February & 1 March.
Other updates
1. In the State Level school competitions under the aegis of the Directorate of Education, the students of JPM School participated and won the following positions:
Debate (Hindi - Junior) – Tarun Kumar, Class IX - First Place
Braille Reading Test - Shivam Arora, Class IV & Nikesh Sharma, Class VIII
2. The International Day of Mother Languages was celebrated by the JPM School students. The children sang songs in their mother tongues and also recited the uniqueness of their respective languages. They were asked to write slogans as a part of their project work.
