Visually impaired man runs for state assembly position in India

From the Times of India:

BERHAMPUR, India -- Debasish Paramanik takes out his election campaign without a loudspeaker or a vehicle. But he is confident, as this visually impaired person feels he has "seen" the real world.

"I hope the voters of Gopalpur constituency will make history by electing a blind person from their Assembly segment," says 26-year-old Paramanik, who is contesting the April 16 Assembly elections as an Independent.

"Although, I have not seen the real picture of the society, but I can still visualize people's sufferings. That has compelled me to contest," said Paramanik, who is tabla master by profession.

His candidature is also supported by the National Federation of Blind, Orissa unit, he claimed. Without a vehicle or a loudspeaker, this blind candidate, along with his two friends, goes from door to door and urges the voters to chose him over the others in the Assembly segment, located on the shores of the Bay of Bengal. I

t is definitely difficult for this candidate to manage his travel expenses. But Paramanik asks the voters to contribute Re 1 towards his travel expenditure.

"I have received a good response everywhere in my constituency," he maintained with a smile. People have contributed without any hesitation," he added.

Defying the scorching heat that has been around 40 degrees Celsius for the past few days, Paramanik campaigns between 8 am to 9 pm everyday. In the afternoon, he and his co-campaigners, take a break for lunch at a voter's house.

"I appeal to them to vote for me and also ask for a handful of rice and Re 1," he said. "I have already covered most of villages that are predominated by fishermen," the Independent candidate said.

In the coming days, he hopes, more blind persons will join the campaign, as the state unit of the National Federation of Blind has extended their support to his candidature.

Paramanik, who is also the secretary of the Ganjam district Blind Association, was not totally blind at the time of his birth. But when he turned 12, he became cent per cent blind as his poor parents could not provide him with the necessary treatment. One of his brother is 75 per cent blind.

"Although I am blind, I do not have any regret. Come what may, I want to do something for the welfare of the disabled persons and the society at large," he said.