BENGALURU: It was a day of wide applause and cheering at Parade Ground as students marched past to mark the 70th Independence Day. But the clapping soon turned into a standing ovation when visually impaired students marched by.
Visually impaired students of two schools participated in the parade held at Field Marshal Manekshaw Parade Ground on Monday.
Shri Ramana Maharishi Academy of Blind secured first place while Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled were placed second in a special category.
For the march-past, students with partial blindness are placed at the front and back of the line as they can identify the lines marked on the ground. The participants hold a part of a long stick that will guide them through the lines marked on the ground.
“The students showed great enthusiasm during practice. I am so proud of them,” said Basawaraj, an instructor from Shri Ramana Mahirshi Academy of Blind. Thirty students from the school participated. The instructor added that the students practised for 20 days. “We are so happy about winning first place,” said Pravind, leader of the group
From the Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled, thirty students participated. “We practised for 10 days, spending more than an hour during each practise session. Last year we came first,” said Devaraja, an instructor of the trust.
“Each of us trained hard to perform well. Our team work helped us perform well,” said HM Gowda, a participant from the Samarthanam Trust.