Community radio celebrates the life of listeners with visual disabilities

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Sep 30, 2019: “Blindness is only in the eyes. The mind has no blindness.” This was the refrain chanted by the radio listeners with visual disabilities at a programme in St. Aloysius College here on Sunday. Community Radio Sarang at the college had organised a special programme to celebrate the national award it had won recently.

 

The programme ‘Antar Belaku’ highlighted the life of the listeners of Radio Sarang with visual disabilites.

On Sunday, many who were part of that radio programme and other such listeners turned up for the programme.

An ardent listener of Sarang, Damodar Varkady, said: “I am blind only in my eyes. But I see through my inner eyes, as my mind is not blind. I have learnt a lesson listening to Radio Sarang, that we must not compare ourselves with those who are above us. We must look at those who are worse than us and be happy that I am much better”.

Another listener with visual disabilities, who came all the way from Mudigere, said that he did not want to miss this programme as he knew that he would meet many people like him.

“I am delighted today to meet my friends here. I had heard them on radio. But today I got an opportunity to meet them in person,” he said.

Speaking on the occasion, yakshagana artiste and retired teacher Bhaskara Rai Kukkuvalli said that there was a big difference between seeing and perceiving.

Rector of St. Aloysius Institutions Dionysius Vaz said that most of the time, those who have eyes see only the negative things around them. “These listeners with visual disabilities cannot see anything negative in life. They see only the goodness in others which they see from within, and we must learn such a trait from them,” he said.

All the listeners were honoured during the programme, according to a release from the college.

Courtesy: The Hindu