The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Visually challenged men go on fast

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Tuesday, Feb 12, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Visually challenged men go on fast

B. Madhu Gopal

VISAKHAPATNAM: Three visually challenged men have launched a hunger strike in front of the statue of the Mahatma, opposite the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) office on Monday seeking justice.

The trio braved the inclement weather and the occasional showers sitting at the Mahatma’s feet. They were, perhaps, unaware that the sighted have no time to stand and stare at them or ponder over their problem unless they are a hindrance to the traffic.

V. Ravi Kumar, director of Help to Help Lord of Joy Association for the Blind, V. Satyanarayana and Ch. Ramakrishna had organised a cricket tournament for the visually challenged at Arilova on January 2, 3 and 4 in connection with the anniversary of Louis Braille. “When we told Pendurthy MLA Tippala Gurumurthy Reddy of our plan, he promised to fund the tournament as Arilova fell in his constituency. We printed invitation cards for the tournament and invited the MLA for the tournament,” said Ravi Kumar.

“On the suggestion of Deputy Mayor Dorabbayi, that the MLA s name should be above his (Deputy Mayor’s), we got the cards re-printed. However, both of them failed to turn up for the inaugural and we were not given the promised funds,” he said.

“We could not give prizes to the winners as we had not received the promised funds. One of the participants floated a rumour that the MLA had given us Rs.10,000 and we had siphoned off the money. Believing him, the others lodged a complaint against us at the Arilova police outpost. We promised to give the prizes once the MLA gave us the funds. ,” they said

They are firm on continuing the struggle until the MLA kept his word.

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