Ketan, Thanks for sharing this in this forum. I am forwarding this to our groups. This needs to be shared more widely.
In solidarity, Shampa Sengupta Kolkata On Wed, Jan 4, 2012 at 9:32 AM, Ketan Kothari <[email protected]> wrote: > Dear Uncle Louis, > > I am happy to celebrate the 203rdh anniversary of your birth and would > like to gratefully acknowledge your contribution in my life. In fact, > it is only due to you that I am what I am today. You probably could > not have imagined at the time when you created a totally new script > the monumental development that it was. But let me assure you that > you are God for most of us especially in places where people are not > living in palaces and owning large properties. Your script is the > greatest gift that has been bestowed upon us. > > In these days of so-called modernization, it has become fashionable to > look down upon your invention as either out of date or even worse > archaic but those that talk that way do not realize what mistakes they > are committing. In fact, it is only through your contribution that > more and more of us who are deprived of light have been experiencing > the divine light and live our lives with fair amount of success. > > I have always believed that even when people will give up your script > (hopefully that day will never come) you will still have won as the > contribution that you have made in our lives is indelible. Even today > when computers and other media have come about people are still > talking of Electronic Braille displays. And yes, there is no > alternative for reading and writing and no other technology will equip > the poorest of the poor amongst the blind to access the printed word. > > Let me thank you for the immeasurable hours of pleasure you have given > to fill my solitude with the treasures of the creation of the greatest > authors and poets resulting in broadening the vistas of my knowledge. > You have filled void in my life on days when I had given up on life > and only through reading some of the greatest works of literature I > have been inspired to continue. > > On another note, in the world filled with parochial conflicts, uncle > Louis, yours is probably the only script that can be written in any > language of the world and if it were used by all we would rid the > world of the conflicts that have created havoc in our lives. > > I am extremely pained to read about the treatment meted out to you in > your lifetime but unfortunately the world is a place where mere > mortals have always failed to recognize great souls and later > worshipped them as Gods. > > There has been a fashion to find out alternatives for your script but > let me assure you that those of us who have benefitted by your > invention will never let this happen. Braille has a place that is > very difficult to be taken by anyone, least of all by scripts that are > very rudimentary. > > Dear uncle, on this 200th anniversary of yours, let me share with you > one secret: the linguistic skills that I possess have all been > developed by you and had it not been for you I cannot imagine my > status. I am horrified when I hear that these days’ children are > discouraged from learning “literacy” but as Jesus Christ had said: > God forgive them for they know not what they are doing. I hope that > God will send you back amongst us and save my brethren. People are > not even aware of the immense loss that they are suffering. > > May God let the better senses prevail. I cannot thank you enough for > making me what I am and let me assure you that till the last day of my > life I will work for the propagation of your great script and will > create awareness amongst all classes of people about its efficacy and > utility. May God grant you the highest place in his divine abode and > may you come to us one more time to recreate the great atmosphere for > the literacy of my brethren. > > > -- > Ketan Kothari > Phone: [r] 24223281, > Cell: 9987550614 > MSN ID: [email protected] > Skype ID: Ketan3333 > > > Search for old postings at: > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > > To unsubscribe send a message to > [email protected] > with the subject unsubscribe. > > To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, > please visit the list home page at > http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in > > Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ To unsubscribe send a message to [email protected] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
