The Indian Army's Dagger Division supports and engages with the School for Blind, Deaf and Dumb located in Baramulla, Kashmir.
By M S Nazki
If you are deaf, dumb, and blind to what’s happening in the world, you’re under no obligation to do anything. But if you know what’s happening and you don’t do anything but sit on your back sife, then you’re nothing but a punk
-Kahlil Gibran: "You are blind and I am deaf and dumb, so let us touch hands and understand!
-Frederick Lenz: "We're blind, deaf and dumb. It is only that Self, which is our life force that makes who and what we are. The realization of that is self-realization.
-Mark Twain: "Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see." — A classic reflection on how empathy transcends physical limitations.
-Being preoccupied with our self-image is like being deaf and blind. — Highlighting how ego isolates people from reality
-None so blind, so deaf, as those that will not hear, that will not see ..A traditional proverb about wilful ignorance
-iF Every one of us is blind and deaf until our eyes are opened to our fellowmen, until our ears hear the voice of humanity. -A reminder that true awareness comes from community connection………
-Some Hostorical examples:
-1882”
-Enthusiasm in the heart of a young deaf man, a state appropriation, and donated land set the stage for the creation of what is now the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind (FSDB). In 1882, Thomas Hines Coleman, a deaf man, was preparing to graduate from Gallaudet College (now Gallaudet University) in Washington, DC. Coleman had previously graduated from the South Carolina School for the Deaf and the Blind and knew that he wanted to make education his life’s work. Florida was one of the few states that had not yet made provision for the education of children who were deaf or blind. Coleman wrote to Florida Governor William Dunnington Bloxham and found that he supported the concept of such a school.
-Governor Bloxham
-1883
Governor Bloxham agreed and convinced the state legislature to set aside $10,000 for each of the years 1883 and 1884 to begin the work of the school. The state requested bids from interested towns for the site and accepted a $1,000 cash bid from the City of St. Augustine. Five acres of land between San Marco Avenue and the Intracoastal Waterway were donated by Captain Edward Eugene Vaill, who owned the St. Augustine Hotel. The property was described as a “very desirable one that commands a magnificent view.”
-1884
Contractor William A. MacDuff erected the first three Wooden School Buildings on the south campus on Genoply Street, completed in December at a cost of $12,749. The first floor of each building served as classrooms, with dormitories and teacher/staff living quarters on the second floors. Three original wood buildings
-1885:
The school opened on February 2, 1885, as the Florida Institute for the Blind, Deaf and Dumb. The word “dumb” at that time meant someone who was mute or did not speak. Tuition was to be “absolutely free,” and the indigent were to be provided with clothes as well.
When Thomas Coleman declined to become principal for health reasons, C.H. Hill, a teacher at the Maryland Deaf-Mute Institute, was offered the job. When he did not accept, Park Terrell, an educator from Columbus, OH was hired as the first principal (1885-1890) at a salary of $1,800. Coleman became the head teacher, and Mrs. M. D. Taylor was the matron. Park Terrell was appointed as the first principal (1885-1890). Previously, he had taught at the Michigan School for the Deaf and the Ohio School for the Deaf. He resigned in 1890 and became a municipal bond specialist in New York, where he gave speeches and authored feature articles on the subject.
The opportunities the school afforded were tremendous; however, it was several years after the school opened before parents could be induced to enroll their children. During the first year, there were 11 pupils in attendance. At that time, there were about 119 children in the state who were deaf or blind, and it was estimated that 78 of these children were of school age. Gradually, the fears of parents were reduced, their prejudices were allayed, and they saw the value of the work being done by the school.
The school operated under a Board of Managers from 1885 to 1903, which consisted of the Florida governor, the state superintendent of public instruction, the state attorney general, and the state treasurer
-The story which we got went something like this which was just a few lines:
-The Indian Army’s Dagger Division organized a welfare drive at the School for Blind, Deaf and Dumb, distributing ration and essential commodities to specially-abled students. GOC Dagger Division Major General Manoj Joshi visited the school and interacted with the students
-The Indian Army's Dagger Division supports and engages with the School for Blind, Deaf and Dumb located in Baramulla, Kashmir.
- Key Details Location: Baramulla, Jammu and Kashmir.
- Recent Activities: The Dagger Division regularly organizes welfare drives, distributes essential commodities and rations, and arranges special educational excursions (such as visits to the Kaman Aman Setu) for the specially-abled students.
-Leadership Involvement: General Officer Commanding (GOC) Dagger Division, Major General Manoj Joshi, has visited the institution to interact with the students and support community welfare efforts.
-Related Institution: The Dagger Division also works closely with the nearby Dagger Parivaar School in Baramulla for specially-abled children, run in partnership with the Indrani Balan Foundation.
-Remarkable stories of blind individuals highlight incredible feats of courage, innovation, and resilience across history and modern times.
-Historical Icons and Trailblazers Helen Keller: Lost her sight and hearing at 19 months old, later graduating with honors from Radcliffe College and becoming a world-renowned The First Deaf-Blind Graduate |
-Modern Adventurers and Achievers Erik Weihenmayer: Overcame progressive vision loss to become an accomplished adventurer, famously climbing the highest peak on every continent—the Seven Summits. Daniel Kish: Mastered human echolocation using tongue clicks, achieving complete independence and teaching his unique navigation techniques to others through his organization
-The story which will impress you:
"The Last Leaf" by O. Henry is a famous short story about hope, sacrifice, and friendship.
-The Illness: Two young artist friends, Sue and Johnsy, live in Greenwich Village, New York. Johnsy falls terribly ill with pneumonia during a cold winter. The Delusion: Weak and depressed, Johnsy stares out the window at an old ivy vine losing its leaves. She counts the remaining leaves and convinces herself she will die when the very last leaf falls.
-The Sacrifice: Mr. Behrman, an old, struggling painter who lives downstairs, hears of Johnsy's morbid belief. On a night of fierce wind and freezing rain, Behrman paints a realistic ivy leaf onto the brick wall outside.
-The Twist: The painted leaf stays firmly in place despite the storm. Seeing that the leaf survived, Johnsy regains her will to live and slowly recovers. However, Behrman caught pneumonia while painting in the cold wet night and passes away, leaving behind his true masterpiece.
-The Leaves Story: A children's classic by Henry Ward Beecher (from his novel Norwood) about a nervous little leaf learning to accept the changing autumn seasons and the natural cycle of life.
-A Tale of Leaf: A short inspirational story exploring a leaf's realization that every small part of nature has an important purpose. .............
-O Henry died of alcoholism!
-How to help handicapped people:
-People perceived as lacking intelligence or making poor judgments should be treated with patience, clear communication, and basic respect. Interactions can be managed constructively through several practical approaches. Communicate Clearly Use simple and direct words. Keep your sentences short. Avoid confusing jargon or complex ideas. Check if the other person understands your point. Stay Calm and Polite Keep your emotions controlled during disagreements. Avoid insults, mocking, or angry outbursts.
-Set Healthy Boundaries Limit the time and energy you spend on difficult talks. Walk away from repetitive or toxic arguments. Focus your attention on your own tasks and goals.
How-do-you-deal-with-stupid-or-unmotivated-people-in-your-life) Focus on Practical Solutions Create simple systems or checklists to reduce mistakes instead of blaming the person. Offer private, gentle corrections rather than calling someone out in public.
Now a few lighter moments:
-Here are some of the most baffling, bizarre, and hilariously disastrous decisions made by military commanders throughout history.
-The General Who Forgot His Reading Glasses. During the Battle of Karánsebes (1788), the Austrian army managed to completely defeat itself without the enemy ever showing up. The Setup: A vanguard of Austrian hussars bought a large amount of schnapps from local traders and got drunk.
-The Mix-up: When infantrymen demanded a share of the alcohol, a brawl broke out. Someone fired a shot. In the darkness and confusion, someone shouted "Turks! Turks!" (the enemy they were expecting).
-The Disaster: The drunk troops panicked and fled. The main army heard the commotion, believed the Ottoman Empire was attacking, and began firing wildly at their own men.
-The Punchline: Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II lost control of the situation, fell off his horse into a ditch, and the army suffered thousands of casualties before realizing no enemies were present.
-The General Who Let a Cat Dictate Strategy: During the Sui Dynasty's invasion of Goguryeo (612 AD), Chinese General Yuwen Shu led an army of over 300,000 men into enemy territory.
-The Issue: The supply lines were stretched thin, making the soldiers' packs incredibly heavy because they had to carry months of rations.
-The "Genius" Idea: To lighten their load, the soldiers secretly began dumping their heavy bags of rice and burying them.
=The Failure: Yuwen Shu found out but didn't want to slow down or punish them. Instead, he ordered that anyone who discarded grain would be executed.
-The Reality: The soldiers kept dumping the food anyway. By the time they reached the enemy capital, the entire army was literally starving.
-They were easily ambushed and routed at the Battle of Salsu, with only a few thousand men surviving out of the initial 300,000.
-The Admiral Who Brought a Menagerie to a Gunfight Russian Admiral Zinovy Rozhestvensky led the Baltic Fleet during the Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905) on an epic, 18,000-mile journey of pure incompetence.
-The Paranoia: Rozhestvensky was convinced Japanese torpedo boats were hiding everywhere—even in the North Sea near Britain.
-The Dogger Bank Incident: His fleet panicked and opened fire on helpless British fishing trawlers, nearly starting a war with the British Empire.
-During the chaos, the Russian ships also shot at each other.
-The Exotic Pets: To boost morale during the long voyage, the crews bought exotic animals at African ports. The flagship became a floating zoo featuring a chameleon, a selection of snakes, and a furious crocodile.The End: When they finally reached the destination, the Japanese navy completely annihilated them at the Battle of Tsushima in a matter of hours.
-The Commander Who Fought the Weather (and Lost)Spanish Duke Alonso Pérez de Guzmán (Duke of Medina Sidonia) was appointed by King Philip II to command the famous Spanish Armada (1588).The Problem: The Duke was an administrator, not a sailor. In fact, he openly admitted to the King that he got violently seasick and knew absolutely nothing about naval warfare.
-The King's Answer: The King insisted he take the job anyway because of his high social status.The Outcome: The Duke's lack of naval instinct led to terrible positioning against the English fleet. When fire ships were sent his way, he panicked, cutting his ships' anchors. The armada was scattered, pushed into devastating storms, and destroyed.
The moral: Even the best can do mistakes! So we come to the end of the story! Simran asked me Likha Kya hai………..I replied Pata Nahin! But I did tell her that it was about blind deaf and dumb! Her reply Mein Kya lihti Hoon! My bro was on another story……………So here are the final lines of the story though I have to read it and proof read it also! But I decided to fish it off with Nelson:
-Vice-Admiral of the White Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronte (29 September 1758 – 21 October 1805) was a British Royal Navy officer whose leadership, grasp of strategy, and unconventional tactics led to multiple decisive British naval victories during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. The Trafalgar Square is dedicated to him. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest admirals in British history.
-Nelson was born into a moderately prosperous Norfolk family and joined the navy through the influence of his uncle Maurice Suckling, a high-ranking naval officer. Nelson rose rapidly through the ranks and served with leading naval commanders of the period before obtaining his own command at the age of 20 in 1778. He developed a reputation for personal valour and a firm grasp of tactics, but suffered periods of illness and unemployment after the end of the American War of Independence.
-The outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars allowed Nelson eventually to return back to service, where he was particularly active in the Mediterranean Sea. He fought in several minor engagements off Toulon and was important in the capture of Corsica, where he was wounded and partially lost sight in one eye, and subsequently performed diplomatic duties with the Italian states. In 1797, he distinguished himself while commanding HMS Captain at the Battle of Cape St Vincent. Shortly after this battle, Nelson took part in the Battle of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, where the attack failed and he lost his right arm, forcing him to return back to Britain in order to recuperate. The following year he won a decisive victory over the French at the Battle of the Nile and remained in the Mediterranean sea to support the Kingdom of Naples against an incoming French invasion.
In 1801, Nelson was dispatched to the Baltic Sea and defeated neutral Denmark at the Battle of Copenhagen. He commanded the blockade of the French and Spanish fleets at Toulon and, after their escape, chased them all the way to the West Indies and back but failed to bring them to battle. After a brief return to Britain, he took over the Cádiz blockade in 1805. On 21 October 1805, the Franco-Spanish fleet came out of port, and Nelson's fleet engaged them at the Battle of Trafalgar. The battle became Britain's greatest naval victory, but Nelson, aboard HMS Victory, was fatally wounded by a French marksman. His body was brought back to England, UK, where he was accorded a state funeral, and considered a national hero.
Nelson's death at Trafalgar secured his position as one of Britain's most heroic figures. His signal just prior to the commencement of the battle, "England expects that every man will do his duty", is regularly quoted and paraphrased. Numerous monuments, including Nelson's Column at Trafalgar Square in London, and the Nelson Monument in Edinburgh, have been created in honor of him. In 2002, Nelson was named among the 100 Greatest Britons of all timeI hoped against hope that I brought this story to an interesting end!
