You cannot miss the clear articulation of information even as you walk around the constant din and hustle-bustle of the station. But, what no one is aware of is that this effervescent announcer is blind.
At the New Delhi Railway station, countless numbers of passengers wait for the announcement of the arrival and departure of trains from the 16 platforms in one of the country’s busiest railway stations.
Nowadays, when people can check train schedules online, 55-year-old Dev Raj’s voice is like a guide to others who do not have access to such technology. You cannot miss the clear articulation of information even as you walk around the constant din and hustle-bustle of the station. But, what no one is aware of is that this effervescent announcer is blind.
He is also not like most announcers who merely relay information in a plane, dreary voice devoid of modulations. Raj speaking to iamin shared, “I don’t like making simple announcements. I try to speak like news anchors. I can’t say I do it well enough, but I try.”
Dev Raj has been working in the Indian Railways since the 1990s. He joined the Indian Railways by registering at the employment exchange. Today, he is an expert in his field and does not need to be told what to say. A telephone placed next to him is all he needs to communicate information to the passengers waiting on the platform in his lucid voice.
Dev Raj does not recall when he lost his eye sight. He contacted eye-flu at an early age and with that lost his eye-sight also. He regrets that his parents didn’t take care of him when he was a child. Since he became visually impaired very early in life, he wasn’t expected to contribute to the family. “They didn’t want me to study. When I was about 12 years, I had this nagging thought in my heart, that I wanted to help them by earning one day,” he recalls.
Dev Raj was a student of Blind school in Panchkuian road and he later graduated in Political Science from Ramjas College, Delhi University. He also taught a few less-privileged children from his vicinity. He married about 8 years ago and lives with his wife.
For the longer version of the report, click here
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