CRC Sikkim and Sikkim University Join Hands to Celebrate Helen Keller’s Birth Anniversary
CRC Sikkim and Sikkim University Join Hands to Celebrate Helen Keller’s Birth Anniversary
International Day of Deaf-Blindness Observed in Sikkim
The Composite Regional Centre for Skill Development, Rehabilitation and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (CRC Sikkim),
under the administrative control of the National Institute of Locomotor Disabilities (NILD), Kolkata, Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPWD),
Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MSJE), Government of India, in collaboration with Sikkim University,
celebrated the 145th birth anniversary of Helen Keller as the International Day of Deaf-Blindness at Cauveri Hall, Sikkim University on June 27, 2025.
Pushpanjali Gupta, Director, CRC Sikkim, began her introductory speech by thanking Dr. Lalit Narayan, Director, NILD,
for permitting CRC Sikkim to organize this important day. She also expressed her gratitude to Professor Abhijit Dutta,
Vice Chancellor (Officiating), Sikkim University, for the collaboration and support in hosting the event.
Professor Abhijit Dutta, Vice Chancellor, Sikkim University, in his inaugural address, thanked CRC Sikkim for organizing this
significant program at the University for the first time. He highlighted the power of resilience that Helen Keller possessed,
emphasizing how she overcame great barriers to become an inspiration worldwide. He also reaffirmed the University’s commitment
to improving accessibility within its premises and pledged to remove existing barriers in the near future.
The dignitaries present at the event included Professor N. K. Paswan, Dean of Students; Professor Satyananda Panda, Dean of School of Human Sciences;
Dr. Ambika Dhaka, Professor and Head, Department of History; Dr. Bilambita Bani Sudha, Associate Professor and Head, Department of Music;
and Dr. Amit Kr. Singh, Associate Professor and Head, Department of Tourism. Also present were Prof. Nitish Mondal, Department of Anthropology;
Shri Satyam Rana, Section Officer; Ms. Farnash Begum, Special Educator; Shri Akhilesh Chauhan, Master Trainer; Soboi Aimol, P&O;
and Shri Vishal Vishwakarma, ISL Interpreter. Dr. Dhriti Roy, Associate Professor and Head, Department of Chinese, served as the Master of the Session.
The resource persons for the program included Shri R. P. Singh, Assistant Professor (Retired), National Institute of Persons with Visual Disabilities (Divyangjan), Dehradun;
Ms. Sonam Bhutia, Teacher, Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Institute for the Blind, Namchi, Sikkim;
Ms. Poonam Tamang, SCPDS, Pakyong, Sikkim; and Shri Sachin Rizal, Capacity Building and Head, Sense India, Ahmedabad.
The program was a grand success, with Persons with Disabilities leading as the main resource persons and sharing inspiring stories of struggle and achievement.
Students from the Department of Music added value to the celebration through their beautiful classical performances,
making it a fitting tribute to Helen Keller — a legendary figure who triumphed over incredible challenges to become a beacon of hope in disability rights advocacy.
Hellen Keller Day 27 June 2025
Background
Helen Keller, a renowned author, disability rights advocate, and lecturer, once said,
“Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.”
Despite being deafblind, Keller was a prolific writer, authoring several books, essays, and articles throughout her life.
Her most famous work, “The Story of My Life”, chronicles her early experiences with blindness and deafness and her journey of overcoming these challenges with the help of her teacher, Anne Sullivan.
Other notable works include “The World I Live In”, which explores her inner perceptions; “Out of the Dark”, a collection of essays on socialism;
and “My Religion” (also known as “Light in My Darkness”).
International Day of Deaf-Bilindness on the 145th birth Anniversary of Helen Keller