LIGHT AT THE OTHER SIDE OF DARKNESS

There is a saying that in this universe, no one is perfect; everybody has some shortcomings, either external or interna. In India, 4.95 million people have blindness, and 35 million are visually impaired. LightHouse Reader Writers group works for blind and visually impaired Students. Mr Sayantan Banerjee is the founder of the organisation and works for the welfare of the community. Being a differently-abled person himself, he believes that he should be addressed as a human before being called anything else

Do you think people treat us like they treat other people?

It will be incorrect if I say people mistreat us; they do help us but they never think that we are as capable as they are. We lack some features that an average human has, and sometimes we might need some special facilities, but it doesn't mean we can't do what an average human can.

When did the idea of starting this group occur to you?

We started this group in 2019. Being brought up in a city like Kolkata, we get a lot of facilities and help, what about others? I met with the Light House group in 2016 at a picnic and thought to start the group

For how long has the group been helping the visually challenged students, and what kind of help do you provide?

The group has been active for more than four years; it started with a handful of people, but now many people have joined. If we talk about the main work we do, it will include recording notes, lessons, and books, finding a scribe for the students in the exam seasons, and assisting them in life.