Imphal, April 23: As part of the year long celebration of the 25th anniversary of Students� Welfare Association for the Blind, the 6th Laishram Gouramani Memorial Award presentation cum prize distribution of the 3rd State Level Song Competition was held at Ideal Blind School, Takyelpat today.

Padmashree Ratan Thiyam and Padmashree Nabakishore graced the occasion as president and guest of honour respectively.

Speaking at the function, Nabakishore, who donated the award given every year since 1998 to a blind person who has dedicated himself/herself in the field of song/music, said he loves and cares for blind people of all the people in the world.

Although they could not see the world with their own eyes, they are born gifted with one special talent or the other.

In order to bring out these latent qualities, the help of his/her fellow beings is essential.

Explaining the reason behind constituting the award, Nabakishore said that he felt that blind people are generally incline toward music and the award is meant to encourage them in honing their musical talent.

For instituting the award, he donated first of all Rs 1,20,000 in 1998.The award would remain as long as the human beings live on this earth, he said.

In his presidential address, Ratan Thiyam observed blind people are those who have eyes but do not see the problems of the society and work for their own vested interest.

A person who used all his senses and worked for the welfare of the society is the one is who can actually see the world.

He is a complete being, he said.

This year, Laishram Gouramani Memorial Award was presented to Thiyam Basanta who is a vocal music teacher of Saregama Musical Centre.

The award carries Rs 3000 in cash along with a citation and a memento.

Three blind students who secured the top three positions in the 3rd State Level Song Competition were also felicitated at the occasion.

They are S Eraileima (Ist Position), W Sanatomba (2nd position) and G Lalila (3rd position).

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