Visually impaired 19-year-old girl marches in perfect sync with sighted companions at Hussainiwala

Ferozepur, November 15, 2026: Breaking barriers of visual impairment, 19-year-old Shriya Chauhan from Pune demonstrated remarkable confidence and determination by performing a synchronised parade alongside two sighted companions before Border Security Force (BSF) jawans at Hussainiwala Border Outpost (BOP).
Shriya marched in perfect coordination with Bhagtinatekar and Rupali Jamjar, drawing applause and admiration from BSF personnel. The trio was part of an 11-member delegation of the Pune-based Prerana Association for Blind, led by visually impaired educator and researcher Satish Navale, which visited Ferozepur after conducting a similar programme in Jammu.
Harish Monga, Assistant Secretary, Home for the Blind, said the delegation also presented traditional Diwali snacks (Faral), brought from Pune, to BSF jawans as a gesture of gratitude and solidarity. The members witnessed the famous Beating Retreat Ceremony at Hussainiwala, with sighted members of their team, an accompanying child and a representative of the Home for the Blind explaining the proceedings in detail to them.
The delegation also paid floral tributes at the National Martyrs Memorial to Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, Sukhdev, B.K. Dutt and Rajmata Vidyawati. They also experienced an interactive train simulator that recreates the sights, sounds and movement of an actual train journey through motion technology.
Monga said that established in 2003 at Bhekrai Nagar, Pune, the Prerana Association for Blind has been working for over two decades to integrate visually impaired persons into mainstream society through inclusive education and its Braille Vani Radio initiative.
"The association has maintained a unique Diwali tradition for more than 20 years of visiting India's border areas, including Siachen, and distributing homemade festive snacks collected from different parts of Maharashtra among armed forces personnel", he added.
Thanking the BSF and Home for the Blind, Ferozepur, for their support in making the visit memorable, Navale urged society to move beyond sympathy and provide visually impaired persons with encouragement, guidance and opportunities to become self-reliant.
He also appealed to citizens to support visually impaired students by purchasing handcrafted products made by students of Pune Blind School, helping them achieve financial independence and live with dignity.
The visit conveyed a strong message of inclusion, patriotism and determination, highlighting that visual impairment need not restrict an individual's ability to participate and excel in any sphere of life.