Today marks the 70th Foundation Day of Shrimanta Sankar Mission Blind School in Barhampur, Nagaon. The celebration included the unveiling of a bust of Louis Braille, symbolizing the institution's commitment to the visually impaired community. The statue was unveiled by Jayanta Baruah, Chairman of the Sadin-Pratidin group.
In conjunction with this significant milestone, Baruah also released a collection of essays titled "Puhoror Xondhant Ekkhuj", authored by Guno Bora, the headmistress of the Barhampur Blind School, during an open meeting.
Addressing attendees at the event, Baruah highlighted the impact of Braille's invention of the six-linked dot script, which opened new avenues for knowledge for the visually impaired and marked a golden chapter in human civilization. He emphasized that the installation of the bust is a commendable step by the school, being the first of its kind in the state.
Baruah expressed his delight at participating in the program chaired by Premeshwar Das, urging the district administrations to utilize the available funds from both the Central and State Governments for the benefit of the visually impaired. He noted that while the school has been operational for 70 years, it should have evolved into a college, rather than being limited to up to class 10. He called for collective efforts to enhance the school’s infrastructure and support.
The meeting, which commenced at 11 a.m., was inaugurated by Nagaon’s Batadrava constituency MLA Rupak Sharma.
Sharma reflected on the noble intentions of those who established the blind school 70 years ago and praised the philanthropic efforts of all involved. He stressed the importance of ensuring that no visually impaired individual is left without access to education.
MLA Sharma also commended Jayanta Baruah for introducing the 15th revised edition of Hemkosh and the Braille version of Assamese grammar. The event saw the presence of several dignitaries, including Thakuria, General Secretary of the Srimanta Sankardeva Sangha, Prakash Mahanta, Associate Editor of Assamese Pratidin, Youth Leader Madhab Mahanta, and police officers Mukut Rabha, Prafulla Bora, and Girish Kalita.