|
Blind Faith
 The
world recognises his significant work, the heads of state and prime
ministers regularly write to him, awards are showered to him as a
matter of fact every year, and the man himself is hailed in the
region as a missionary par excellence. For good measure, he has also
been conferred with Padamshri and then a Padambhushan by the
President of India in recognition for his work.
Dr
Kunwar Singh Negi works for the blind, but also has significant
experience of a few decades to realise that the blind come in many
forms, and those who are deprived merely of sight are only one kind
he can help. There is little he can do about the others. An English
adage goes that there are none so blind as those who won’t see.
Today, Dr Negi knows that it is difficult to find someone in the
ruling Akali Dal or the cash-rich SGPC who can see, who can judge
the importance of his mission and reach out to help.
But
the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee has its own way of
judging things. After men like Sikhism scholar Dr Kharak Singh and
many others badgered the SGPC to extend a helping hand to Dr Negi’s
mission and Dr Kharak Singh recommended that he be provided with Rs
Five lakh to buy computers and some other infrastructural equipment,
the SGPC took a few years to move and finally wrote to Dr Negi that
its Dharam Parchar Committee has approved a Rs 1500 (approximately
$37) per month financial aid to him for the rest of his life. “Now
after a written demand from you reaches us to ask for this aid
amount, it will be sent to you,” said the wise old men of SGPC in
writing through a communication on January 3, 2002. Clearly, it was
telling the missionary that while the amount will be given to him,
he will have to beg for it.
Dr
Negi begged.
He
has no shame in begging. If he had not begged for aid from wherever
he could get some, his mission would have come to a stop long ago.
But
the SGPC never stops thinking, the cerebral body that it is. For
months, Dr negi did not get the princely sum of Rs 1500 per month
and was in correspondence with the premier Sikh organisation, called
mini-Parliament of the Sikhs, over this $37 financial aid. Now, he
has been told that in January 2006, a decision was taken to scrap
the aid.
Reason: “Based on several official reports, the approved financial
aid is stopped herewith.” No more reason required.
 Padamshri and Padambhushan awardee Dr Kunwar Singh Negi is a noted
Braille expert. He is a pioneer in Gurmukhi literature for the blind
in India and abroad. He has removed spiritual illiteracy from
amongst the blind Punjabi knowing people. The books that he has done
in Braille have helped students in Punjab to learn the three R’s and
are responsible for the spread of education amongst the blind in
Punjab.
“Shri Negi has contributed useful articles about the culture of
Punjab in the Braille journals like ‘Navan Rashmi’ and ‘Shishu Alok’.
He has also edited and Brailled the text books in Bengali, Gujarati
and Oriya. He is a unique example of serving the Deaf, the Dumb and
the Blind simultaneously. In the Nanhi Duniya Badhir Vidyalaya,
Dehra Dun, he is looking after the welfare and advancement of the
Deaf and Dumb. He has a large number of publications to his credit.”
(The above lines have been excerpted from the Brochure published
on the occasion of Investiture Ceremony at Rashtrapathi Bhawan, New
Delhi, celebrated on the 28th March, “The International Disabled
Year 1981.”)
Negi’s life has been one of total devotion to the welfare and uplift
of the blind. He started taking interest in his chosen mission of
serving the blind at the early age of twenty. He has Braille-edited,
Braille-transcribed and Braille-published many text-books and
distributed them amongst the blind students free of cost. He has
also transcribed examination notes in Braille for blind students.
 Negi has written articles, short stories and poem etc in Braille
journals “Nayanrashmi” and “Shishu Alok” with a view to develop the
education of blinds. To educate the blinds in all branches of
literature and journalism, he started a new column ‘Nai-Lekhni’ on
Braille journals which has added a new dimension to Indian Braille
journalism. He has also established a Braille Press Society at Dehra
Dun in order to meet the requirement of Braille text books and other
literature for the 10 million blinds in the country.
Negi is also closely associated with Bharat Netrahin Sewak Samaj
Punjab; National Federation for the Blind, Delhi; Nanhi Duniya
Badhir Vidyalaya, Dehradun and many other organisations for welfare
of the blind, deaf and dumb.
Among the notable books edited in Braille by Negi are ‘Sukhmani
Sahib’, ‘Bani Shri Guru Teg Bahadur ji’, ‘Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ki
Mahanta’ etc., besides several research articles.
The number of individuals and organisations which have recognised
the services rendered by Dr Negi to the cause of Indian Braille
Literature and Braille journalism for the blind and deaf and dumb is
forever growing.
8 August, 2007
|
Read Also