Visually impaired student turns radio presenter

New Delhi, Jan 9: He is a radio jockey, he is also a television anchor. He is a journalist and a creative writer too, apt at penning radio jingles and advertisement scripts. Besides he is both a poet and a musician.

Kamal Kumar Prajapati wears many hats. What's amazing is the ease at which he juggles them, performing many roles, often the same day.

And what is astonishing is the fact that he has been able to achieve these feats despite being visual impairment. In fact, despite his physical limitations, Prajapati who is in his early 20s has gone on to breach many conventional human boundaries.

A History graduate from Delhi University's St Stephen's, Prajapati is now a freelancer radio presenter with a community radio called Apna Radio stationed at Indian Institute of MassCommunication, New Delhi.

Besides writing and composing radio ads, jingles and promos, he is also freelance on-stage programme compere for shows of various non-government organisation.

A meritorious student, Prajapati had his schooling from the National Institute for Visually Handicapped in Dehradun which provided him special education.

But he did not allow his visual impairment stop from living out his dreams. Even during his schooling he had participated in various extra-curricular activities of both ordinary and extraordinary types.

His ordinary pursuits included singing along with his normal schoolmates, playing chess with them and debating a plethora of issues threadbare in the school elocutions.

While competing with students of schools, he emerged extraordinary winners many times representing the state in these activities. These include winning national championship for braille and state level championship for debate, each thrice.

A regular participant at the All India Radio Programmes at the regional centre of Nazibabad during his school days, Prajapati ended up falling in love with the radio. "I loved playing with sound and so took part in various AIR programmes, which got me interested in radio," says Prajapati.

PTI