Residents who tuned into Lotus News channel at 5pm were surprised to see a boy dressed in an orange shirt and beige waist coat reading the news bulletin. He was not reading a news bulleting for children, but spoke about current issues in the news including the crisis in Ukraine, rescue operations in Nepal and former minister S S (agri) Krishnamoorthy's bail application. What was even more remarkable was that the boy anchoring the news was vision-impaired.
But the lack of eye contact with viewers was hardly an impediment for 11-year-old Sri Ramanujam, popularly known as Sriram, who was born without eye balls to a farming couple in Palani. Unfettered by the daunting task of anchoring the news, he confidently ran his hands over sheets of Braille as he announced the news bulletin. "I was so afraid yesterday that I just could not sleep last night," said Sriram, a Class 5 student of the Government Blind School in Vuliampalyam, Thondamuthur. "I continued to be nervous when I started but after the first five seconds, I got used to it," he added.
His mother Kalaiarasi Thirunavakarau who was watching the bulletin from the production control room (PCR) looked even more nervous than her son. "I was so happy that I felt like crying," she said after the bulletin. "Being farmers in Palani, we kept Sriram at home till he was seven as we were unsure how we could educate him," she said. "My husband and I cursed ourselves for entering into a consanguineous marriage which may have led to Sriram's disability," said Kalaiarasi. Today, his parents are confident he could achieve his dreams and his disablility would not stand in the way. The program is titled 'Agakkan', which means inside the eye.
"The purpose of the programme is to send out a message to parents of blind children that they should educate their children. We also want to create awareness on eye donation," said programme producers J Saravanaramkumar and Sangeeth Kumar.
Sriram, who is the class topper, was selected by the programme producers in December and was trained for four months in news reading, voice modulation, voice culture, posture, managing breaking news situations and emergencies. The boy who claims he began listening to news on television avidly since he was nine, said he enjoyed the process.
"The purpose of the programme is to send out a message to parents of blind children that they should educate their children. We also want to create awareness on eye donation," said programme producers J Saravanaramkumar and Sangeeth Kumar.
Sriram, who is the class topper, was selected by the programme producers in December and was trained for four months in news reading, voice modulation, voice culture, posture, managing breaking news situations and emergencies. The boy who claims he began listening to news on television avidly since he was nine, said he enjoyed the process.
Source: The Times of India, 2nd May 2015
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