Dear Rajesh and Vinod, you both and your team merit a big congratulation for
organizing this BGFI convention. I really wish a great success and bright
future for this Nagpur chapter of BGFI.
Pleas see, if it is possible for you to upload the recording of the same
for the benefit of the list members. ----- Original Message -----
From: "Asudani, Rajesh" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Cc: <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, October 05, 2010 12:08 PM
Subject: [AI] Report on Silver Jubilee National Convention of BGFI
Silver Jubilee Convention
Blind Graduates forum of India
Silver jubilee convention of Blind graduates forum of India was held at
Dhananjayrav Gadgil Institute of cooperative management, Nagpur, on
October 2 and 3, 2010.
About fifty delegates from Nagpur and outside actively participated in the
convention. Dr. Shirish Deshpande, professor and head department of Post
graduate teaching department of Law, Rashtra Sant tukdoji maharaj Nagpur
University and himself a Visually challenged, delivered the keyhnote
address in the inaugural session. He delineated the importance of
political and legal process in improving the life conditions of visually
challenged apart from social and economic opportunities. He particularly
emphasized the value of access to education and urged the government and
civil society to take a holistic approach towards it including
accessibility to institutions inform of non discriminatory admissions
suitable infrastructure, study material, transport and legitimate
assistance. He also called upon all stake holders to contribute actively
in formation of a new disability statute. Mr. Neeraj Saksena, Hon.
Secretary of BGFI, recounted history of the organization with special
emphasis on the proactive and continuing nature of its activities
particularly towards personality development of the blind and called upon
young generation to continue the legacy for betterment of the blind. Mr.
Avinash Sanghvi, the working president of Saksham, declared that there is
a synergy among all working in the field of disability and assured to work
together in future as well for useful projects. Rajesh Asudani, vice
president, delivered the presidential remarks in absence of president Mr.
Harish Kotian due to inevitable reasons.
The post lunch session was characterized by unmatched vibrancy and
interaction. Some technocrats from Pune demonstrated various educational
products including much-awaited Hindi Optical character recognition
software. It is expected to be available very soon.
Mr. David from Vijayawada spoke on how proficiency in language can create
various opportunities for visually challenged. Dr. G.H. Asudani, associate
professor anandniketan college of agriculture, Warora, brought home the
importance of competitive exams and what visually challenged students can
and should do to be competitive and succeed at them. Dr. Ram babu from
Tata Institute of Social science, Mumbai, depicted the society's response
to disability. In his lively and interactive session, he noted the subtle
but important transition from apathy and avoidance to curiosity and
positivity, crisscrossing with denial and unreasonableness on one hand and
due acknowledgement and reasonable behaviour on the other.
The first day concluded with an open session where each of the
participants had a chance not only to introduce themselves but also to put
forth their prime concern as a visually challenged. Mostly, the
participants expressed rural-urban divide, economic deprivation in
conjunction with disability to be the major inhibiting factor in their
life. Need for technology training and personality development along with
residential facilities in the city for those coming from suburban and
rural areas was felt.
Response of the participants on the second day was also overwhelming. Dr.
Deshpande graced the gathering with his suo motu presence on the second
day. Mr. Lakshman Khapekar, a well known visually impaired social activist
was also present. Dr. Vinod Asudani, Associate professor and head of the
department, Social sciences, Ramdevbaba Kamla Nehru Engineering college
Nagpur and renowned HRD trainer, underlined importance of motivation in
face of disability. He opined that self acceptance along with effective
contact with immediate surroundings, positive attitude and a sense of
humor are the key factors in leading a meaningful life despite disability.
Rajesh Asudani, Assistant General Manager Reserve bank of India, spoke
about various challenges before visually challenged at present including
Physical, Legal, economic, Technological, psycho-social etc. He also
distributed RBI circular about banking facilities to the visually
challenged and Maharashtra HC guidelines about scribe among the
participants. Nagpur MNC resolution about free bus facility to blind was
also distributed.
The Open session was continued on the second day as well, where some lady
participants expressed anguish about arbitrary scribe policy of the
government and about unreasonable ways of Maharashtra government which
deprive totally blind of almost all jobs. Mr. Rajesh Asudani agreed with
their concern and pointed out an instance of Maharashtra government where
only the post of music lecturer is identified for blind and not any other
post of lecturer. He further assured gathering that some meaningful
provisions about scribe on the lines of maharashtra HC guidelines would be
shortly introduced at the national level. Gathering also felt howsoever
nice laws may be on paper, what actually matters is their effective and
unbiased implementation.
So, we must strive continuously to achieve it.
A participative discussion on interaction of gender with visual disability
was also taken up shortly before lunch. The lady participants spoke up
about unique issues it creates and their resolve to combat them. Radha
Borde, a teacher told at length how her struggles bore fruit in leading a
productive life despite being a woman with disability from rural area and
illiterate and poor family. Rajesh Asudani felt that undue sexualization
by males-sighted and blind alike, of predominantly tactual contact
entailed by visual inability was the chief contributing factor for undue
harassment of blind girls.
The gathering passed a few resolutions, namely:
1. To take up access to education as a goal for the coming year,
2. To deliberate and suggest to the committee on the new law on
disability
3. To set up regular resource and coaching center for competitive exams
for the blind
4. To form the Nagpur chapter of Blind graduates forum of India.
The convention concluded with a lively cultural interaction among the
participants. The achievement of the convention was that each one of the
participants left with a renewed enthusiasm and hope for the future.
(Rajesh Asudani)
Vice President
Blind Graduates Forum of India
October 5, 2010
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