AGRA CONVENTION 2014

Blind Stars Beyond Facebook Bridging The Gap

7th to 9th November, 2014

As i feel… AGRA CONVENTION 2014

By Peeyush Bardia / Jaipur // Rajasthan

First of all I would like to say a big Thank You for organising such an event & taking so much care of your unknown & non-inform guests.

Akhil Ji, Agra visit to convention has been an enriching experience for me as It was my first visit that I done without my family members in my small life with blindness. Actually, I has lost my eye sight before 3 years only. I am working in a Finance Company as Manager-Operations in Jaipur for last 12 years.

I was informed about this convention many days before but I couldn?t make my mind to visit it alone. Only 3 days before I managed to agree 2 another blind friends ( 6 month old friends) Mr. Chetan Sharma & Mr. Lokesh Soni. They both are Govt School Teacher & find 2 holidays on short notice. We some how got mobile number of Mr. Kapil Mittal & He was so nice to us that he took our request positively to attend the summit with late fees & given your mobile no. It?s very tough to manage things on the last moments for arrangements & management with limited options. We really appreciate you & him for this kind of approach. (We have been not asked to deposit fee with late charges also later )

I understand that I am so fortunate to share with you all that I have spent an excellent and short period (approx. 2 days) in AGRA, and I have so much enjoyed my entire time with excellent People. Let me share my entire journey with Blind Starts……

I, Chetan, Lokesh & his 8 years old nephew Bunti. We took Bunti with us in the last moments before leaving house as all we three are blind & I specially was hesitating to travel with 2 persons like me. Actually, we were very much excited to go to Agra as we all are going first time there & we still haven’t any confirm accommodation in the convention. We reached at venue at 1.30 p.m. & welcomed by Mr. Akhil on the entrance. It was most satisfactory for us that we got khane ka Dabba also just after sitting in the seminar hall (at least now our timing is good).

We missed 1st session of the convention & after lunch we got chance to listen Chief Guests. It was really amazing to listening MP of Rajya Sabha talking about Disability rights & his personal experiences. VC of the University & others speakers thoughts were also appreciable. Another session on Media & disability issues was presides by Mr. Prashant Tandon & Mr. Ajay Srivastav. There in the session we came to know little much about Mr. Akhil & his NGO Antardrishti & also listen about Mr. Khalid & his journey of this group. I really congratulate Mr. Khalid for this endeavor & his willingness to live life with so positivity.

After 1st day session we were informed to move out for sitting in buses to hotel. It was giving me very much confidence as I am thinking with family members. I was not very talkative there as I was very curious to listen people around me. All are blind but live life as they are enjoying with life. No sorrow, no tension. It?s was going to be a great learning experience for me.

We reached to hotel & soon got separate room for us. It was looking as we came to baarat & we were treated as baraati. We found many volunteers there to hold our hands softly & taking care so much like a friend. Their dedication to care for us was best part of till that time. It was understood that Akhil Ji has trained many things about blind people. I was really thrilled to know how is our room? How is washroom? How is bed? How is cleaning in room? How our baggages will secure etc… But all are vanished as we reached in the room & I checked the room walking all in & check everything. All arrangements were made to serve us with honour & respect. Perhaps that was the thing to mention first.