The 70th Foundation Day of the Association was elebrated on 11th November 2017, at Smt Kamla Mehta Dadar School for the Blind, Dadasaheb Phalke Road, Dadar (East), Mumbai, from 3.00 p.m. onwards. Total about 115 people participated in the function, including Office Bearers and staff members.
Mr Mohammed Raza (Member of Executive Council) of the Association welcomed the members and introduced Ms Neha Sharad, daughter of famous poet Shri Sharad Joshi who is also a poet and a prominent actress. Thereafter he recited some self composed poems and Mr Harshad Jadhav, Joint secretary, recited the poems written by Shri Vijay Soawane. Mr Raju Sigh also recited some of the self composed poems. . Afterwards Ms Neha Sharad recited some of the self composed poems and poems composed by her late father Shri Sharad Joshi. Members were delighted and appreciated her for sparing here valuable time and attending the function. She was kind enough to attend the entire function including the award presentation ceremony.
Thereafter the Padmashree Dr Rajendra T Vyas Memorial Award presentation ceremony started. Mr Jatin Paranjpe, famous cricketer was invited as the Chief Guest for the function. Mrs Anubha Dixit, President, Mr PravinC Dandia, President Emeritus, Mr Y D Zope,Vice President and Mr Ketan Kothari, Hon. General Secretary were also present at the dais along with the Chief Guest. The guests were felicitated with a flower bouquet. Mr Kothari welcomed the members and explained about various activities and services of the Association, in the field of blind welfare for the past seven decades. He said that our main objective is to serve the economically weaker section of the blind people staying in Mumbai City and its suburbs, at grass root level, including their overall development.
The Award presentation function started with lighting the lamp by the Chief Guest and while giving tribute to Dr Rajendra T Vyas, Mr Pravin Dandia, President Emeritus, informed that Dr Rajendra T Vyas was one of the founder members of the Association, in 1947. He continued to hold various positions of the Association till the year 1993, and thereafter he was the President Emeritus of the Association till the end of his life in the year 2010. Dr Vyas lived for 80 years out of which he dedicated about 63 years for working in the field of blind welfare activities. He was instrumental for a number of blind welfare activities not only with this Association but also with the National Association for the Blind, India, which was established during the year 1952, around 5 years after the establishment of this Association. Through his initiative the National Association for the Blind, India, had started the Talking Book Library, Braille Press, Training Centres for the blind and many more. His name will always be written in golden letters in the field of blind welfare activities. Taking into consideration of his remarkable contributions for the blind, the Blind Persons’ Association, Mumbai has instituted an award in his memory to be given every year to one of the blind persons who has excelled in his/her abilities or services. This year the award was given to Mr Jaydeep H Singh, a visually challenged person, who is one of the prominent Judo players and received a number of medals in National as well as International levels. The award contain a Citation and Cash Award. The Braille version of the citation of Mr Jaydeep Singh was read by Mr Raman Shankar. Mr Ravindra Patil, the coach of Mr Jaydeep Singh, briefed about the determination and hard working mentality of Mr Jaydeep Singh which enabled him to achieve the goals in his life. Mr Jaydeep Singh expressed his sincere gratitude to the Association for selecting him for this prestigious award. He also said that he is trying his level best to bring other visually challenged people also to come forward in the field of Judo.
On this occasion the Association felicitated Dr. Charudatta Jadhav, the President and a senior employee of Tata Consultancy Services (T C S) who is also an eminent Chess player in his own right and Mr Prakash Patil, an employee of State Bank of India, for his selfless social service with Mementos. Mr Kothari, introduced Dr Charudatta Jadhav and Mr Raman Shankar introduced Mr Prakash Patil to the audience.