Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 28: Eminent social worker and the secretary general of All India Confederation of the Blind (AICB), Jawahar Lal Kaul of New Delhi, was among the 101 personalities, who have been selected for this year’s Padam Shree Award– the highlest Civilian Award.
Kaul, who lost his sight at the age of seven due to smallpox, by dint of his outstanding merit and undeterred zeal, passed Sanskrit (Hons) from Punjab University with a gold medal in 1967-the year that also witnessed the beginning of his journey as a messiah of the blind.
He founded the first two self-help organisations of the Blind in India viz. National Federation of the Blind (1970) and All India Confederation of the Blind (1980), an umbrella organization. He was also instrumental in ensuring the presence of the International Federation of the Blind (IFB) in the region.
The brain child of Kaul, AICB, has always championed the cause of education and employment with a special focus on concerns of women, senior citizens and the under-priviliged rural blind.
In, 2012, he was conferred with Louis Braille Gold Medal. Besides, he has many other awards in his name like Marga Schulze Award (Germany, 2006), RM Alpaiwala Memorial Award (2006), NCPEDP–Shell Helen Keller Award (2003).
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