Sahitya Akademi mulls cooperation in publishing Braille books

Bhopal, Aug 26 (UNI) The Sahitya Akademi is contemplating a linkage with a city-based NGO for publication of Braille books with a literature content, Akademi President Gopichand Narang said today.

''We may also provide a subsidy for the noble endeavour by NGO Arushi that has so far benefited more than 900 children with such books and 12,000 plus hours of audio tapes,'' he said at the multi-art centre Bharat Bhavan here while releasing 'Ek Mein Do', a Braille transcription of a work by renowned poet Gulzar who was also present on the occasion.

Pointing out that the NGO, active for the past 15 years, had helped make the local Habibganj Railway Station and the World Heritage Site Sanchi more ''visually-challenged friendly,'' Prof Narang expressed his desire to become a volunteer for Arushi.

''Creation of self-confidence among the visually challenged and bringing these special children into the mainstream is supreme,'' he said.

''President A P J Abdul Kalam's 'Wings of Fire' has also been transcribed into Braille. From this academic session, every primary school textbook in Madhya Pradesh has a page at the end guiding school children on how to make their physically-challenged classmates more comfortable,'' said Mr Gulzar, who is a patron of Arushi.

The page has been drafted by Mr Gulzar, who said books of Hindi, Urdu and English languages were also being transcribed. Marathi and Malayalam work would be added to the list soon.

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