Diwali becomes a source to earn

Amidst the corporate ostentatious endeavours that make The Blind Relief Association’s (TBRA)Diwali Mela, the most grandiose fair in the capital, the real purpose of the fest seems to have been lost. ‘Blind School Diwali Mela’, as it is called is primarily to raise awareness, increase sensitivity and raise funds and confidence of the visually impaired (VI) trainees and students of the school. But the gathering at TBRA counters is negligible.

Three stalls (massage, candle and bags counter) fill in the meagre number of VI working to make their salary out of the event. The 200 stalls of designers, local vendors selling traditional crafts, apparels, home decor, with price range directly proportional to five gol gappas of worth Rs 100, have overshadowed the Rs 10 candles, paper and cloth bags and Rs 50 per 15 minutes of a massage, provided by the institutionalised VI.

Arish Kumar makes candles for his livelihood for the past 31 years. He has been educated in the school and takes part in different events and grows his business from within the walls of the school. Kumar tells Metrolife, “I live away from my family and I am able to make Rs 15 to 17, 000 per month. I also get overtime during Diwali. Making candles is not heavy on me anymore.”

Kumar mostly gives the finishing touch to the solidified wax. Without seeing he can carve out designs and polishes the wax to give it a shape.

This work is simultaneously going on in the same premises. It is like a small warehouse, where tailoring, candle making and other crafts is brought to pass by these visually impaired. It may seem like a pitiable profession, but for them it is their strength. They work rather mechanically like professionals; cutting, shaving, carving, packing candles one after the other. One can almost miss out on the fact that they cannot see.

Most of the blind working in the Diwali mela are not students, but trainees at the Technical Training Centre at TBRA which provides year-long vocational training for industrial jobs.

Kailash Chandra Pande,  executive secretary TBRA says, “The idea is to train them with different vocational occupations, so that they can go out and start their own business.

They are mostly uneducated and from economically backward sections. Because of lack of inclusiveness in ‘normal’ factories and office spaces, they keep working with us.”

Nitesh Kumar Mahato 24, joined the institution in 2004, for a vocational training course which provides, general multi-skill training in bookbinding, paper craft, basic massage, candle making among some others.

Mahato says, “I have left my education to earn my livelihood, I know a bit of everything that is there in the course and I hope that it is useful later in my career.”

Praveen Kumar 22, is  zealous about pursuing the massage course at the centre. He says, “I have done light engineering from Dehradun before joining the course in blind school. But after coming here I am more relaxed about my future. I am certain that this training will fetch me money. After I graduate, I will like to start my own massage centre.”

Meanwhile, Kumar and his mates at the massage counter are earning through the parchi system. Out of  the money collected by the end of the fest, he will get his cut. TBRA Diwali Mela will continue till November 8 at Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg from 10 am to 8 pm.