CRC Sikkim and Akashwani Gangtok Celebrate World Braille Day with Nepali Braille News
CRC Sikkim and Akashwani Gangtok Celebrate World Braille Day with Nepali Braille News
Marks Significant Milestone in Empowering Persons with Visual Disabilities
04-12-2025
To commemorate World Braille Day, which honors the birth anniversary of the visionary inventor Louis Braille,
Akashvani News Gangtok and the Composite Regional Centre for Skill Development, Rehabilitation & Empowerment of
Persons with Disabilities, Sikkim (CRC, Sikkim) under the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment joined hands
to celebrate this special day.
As part of the celebrations, Akashvani Gangtok broadcast a special Braille news in Nepali, read by
Ms. Sonam Diki Bhutia, a visually impaired Divyangjan from Gyalshing, West Sikkim, who is currently
working at JNMI Namchi under the Government of Sikkim. The broadcast was assisted in arranging and recording by
Shri Subash Pakhrin. This initiative marks a significant milestone as it is the first time such a
broadcast has been made on Akashvani Gangtok, honoring the spirit of Divyangjan.
Speaking on the occasion, Shri Manas Pratim Sarma, Head of Regional News Unit, Akashvani, Gangtok,
said, “This is a great occasion to encourage the good works of Divyangjans. Akashvani keeps doing programs for all
sections of people. Ms. Sonam is highly motivated, and we are glad to have her read out a special bulletin on this
occasion.”
Smt. Pushpanjali Gupta, Director, CRC, Sikkim, spoke about Braille as a system of reading and writing
used by persons with visual disabilities through touch, serving as a communication bridge between persons with
visual disabilities and the non-disabled world. “The credit goes to its inventor Louis Braille, whose birth
anniversary we are celebrating today. If it wasn’t for Louis, PWDs would have lived a life in darkness,” she added.
Speaking about the visionary inventor Louis Braille, Smt. Gupta mentioned that his story is one of resilience and
determination. Born on this day in 1809 in Paris, he became blind at the age of three due to an accident. His desire
to connect with the sighted world led him to invent Braille. Despite initial rejection, he persevered and created a
system that brought literacy to the blind. His legacy is celebrated on his birth anniversary as a beacon of hope
and empowerment.
Highlighting the significance of the special broadcast, the CRC Director said, “We are here to tell the world that
our state of Sikkim is not behind when it comes to empowering persons with visual disabilities. They are at par, or
even ahead, in working hand in hand with the sighted world as contributory members of society, living life with
dignity.”
She further added, “On a platform like Akashvani Gangtok, they can read the news in Nepali Braille. In a world where
connectivity is key, this is a milestone. This is a real achievement and makes me proud as a service provider.”
She expressed her gratitude to Shri Manas Pratim Sharma, Assistant Director, Akashvani, Gangtok, for
collaborating on this achievement, and thanked Dr. Lalit Narayan, Director, National Institute for
Locomotor Disabilities (Divyangjan), Kolkata, for supporting the event. She also thanked Ms. Sonam Diki Bhutia and
the JNM Institute for the Blind, Government of Sikkim, for their contributions.
Ms. Sonam Diki Bhutia shared that it was a one-of-a-kind experience for her, as she had never done this before, and
expressed her heartfelt gratitude to Akashvani Gangtok and CRC Sikkim for this special initiative.