Visually Challenged youth translate their vision into reality!
The International Day for Persons with Disabilities was celebrated across the world on December 3rd. I along with my colleagues had decided to felicitate some blind activists who are working for the empowerment of their community. Jammu & Kashmir RTI Movement in association with Non Governmental Organisation KOSHISH organised an event in Srinagar to felicitate activists working for welfare of blind people under the banner of J&K Blind Welfare Trust. During this programme the participants also discussed and debated the challenges faced by Persons with Disabilities - PWDs especially the visually challenged persons. We also discussed how laws meant for PWDs like Rights Of Persons with Persons Disabilities (RPWD) Act 2016 could be implemented on ground so that its benefits reach to the concerned people. In addition to members of the J&K Blind Welfare Trust we had invited former Chief Information Commissioner G R Sufi, religious scholars and social workers to speak during this programme. Personally I had been doing some advocacy on RPWD Act 2016 by writing about it, but I got to know about the challenges faced by this community after attending some workshops and having a series of meetings with blind activists.
Showkat’s Struggle
I know a young man named Showkat Ahmad Lone from Lanoora Budgam who is actively working for blind community. For more than a year he would only call me on the phone and would tell me issues concerning blind people. I didn’t know he was actively working for the welfare of his community but he was unorganized and required some hand-holding and guidance.
Showkat who is around 28 years old was blinded at a young age of six after suffering from some eye disease. He could not recover and lost his vision. Showkat lost his father as well when he was only seven ? His elders brothers and mother took his care, but local schools denied to admit him. One headmaster in a Govt school told Showkat that if he would admit him he will would lose him job “ Mujhe Sarkar Nokri Say Nikaal Degey” he had told Showkat and his brother in 2010. This is the mindset our Govt officials towards persons with disabilities. Showkat and his family were further depressed but they didn’t lose hope. A visually challenged person who met Showkat in Srinagar around 2017 told him about an institution which provides rehabilitation services to blind persons.
Visiting NEIPVD Dehradun
In February 2018 Showkat’s mother Zeba Begum, his older sister Haseena and brother Shabir accompanied Showkat to Dehradun to get admitted in the National Institute for the Empowerment of Persons with Visual Disabilities-NIEPVD . This was a landmark decision Showkat and his family had taken. Showkat stayed at NIEPVD for around 6 months and he learnt all the soft skills which a visually challenged person should possess. The National Institute for the Empowerment of Persons with Visual Disabilities- NEIPVD is one of the seven National Institutes working under the administrative control of the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwDs) under the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Government of India. This institute was established way back in 1943 as St Dunstan’s Hostel for the soldiers blinded in war. In 1982 NIEPVD Dehradun was registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 and acquired the status of an autonomous body. The NIEPVD is one of the country’s prestigious institutions having completed its glorious 75 years of providing rehabilitation services to the visually impaired persons.
Showkat’s education
In Dehradun, Showkat was told to continue his education. He completed his matriculation from Seva Koti school Delhi where he was enrolled in 2018 and then cleared class XII exams from CBSC board through open schooling from Bal Bharti School in 2021. In 2022 he took admission in Delhi University (Distance Mode) and is now undergoing a graduation course in History and Political science. Showkat also plays cricket and he has motivated many blind youth to play this game. For visually challenged persons the cricket game is specially designed by the Cricket Association for the Blind in India -CABI. There are some challenges Showkat and his team is facing as they are yet to get registered with CABI. But he is doing a lot of advocacy on this as well.
Setting up Blind Welfare Trust
For a long time Showkat had plans to set up an organisation for the welfare of blinds. A lawyer had taken money from him and assured to get the trust registered but for many months he kept him moving. Finally, Showkat approached me and I got this work done by getting the J&K Blind Welfare Trust registered. The Deputy Commissioner Budgam and SDM Khansahib (Sub Registrar) were really very helpful. The trust was registered early this year and Showkat Ahmad Lone is the Chairman of this trust with some other members as well who too are visually challenged persons. Shafat Ahmad Sofi who is partially blind is its General Secretary. After getting registered as a legal entity Showkat and his team held several meetings in last 6 to 7 months and undertook many activities. Showkat and his team are fond of playing cricket and Birla Open Minds School Pampore provided them with a cricket uniform and entire cricket kit. Recently they played a cricket match in their school campus which was witnessed by a large gathering. In-fact seeing their talent the school principal Dr Mehnaz offered to take these visually challenged cricket players outside J&K to exhibit their talent in Delhi and Lucknow. I have also requested noted cricketer Parvez Rasool to handhold them and he has given me full assurance to make these people play cricket outside J&K.
Conclusion
A scientific study has found that persons with disabilities report experiencing more mental distress than those without disabilities. The only way to overcome this is to involve physically challenged people in different activities and provide them skills to earn a decent livelihood. Involving the PWDs in spiritual and sports activities is also the best remedy to overcome depression. We have several sportsmen and sportswomen who in spite of being physically challenged are bringing laurels for the country. Sheetal Devi who is only 16 is one such person who competed in the women’s compound bow at the 2022 Asian Para Games and received two gold medals in mixed doubles and women’s individual after winning a silver medal in women’s double compound championship. The day is not far away when the visually challenged persons like Showkat would rise and shine. They are helping their community to come out of the mental depression they are facing and I am sure one day the J&K Blind Welfare Trust would become a responsible institution in J&K that would handhold persons with vision loss and will provide them a platform for empowerment and growth.
Dr Raja Muzaffar Bhat is an Acumen Fellow.
He is Founder and Chairman Jammu & Kashmir
RTI Movement
