Poona Blind Men's Association

The Poona Blind Men's Association (PBMA) is...

Consider the everyday miracle of nature -the growth of a seed. Planted deep into the soil and nurtured, it blossoms from a slender sapling at first, to a massive giant of the forest, with its spreading branches offering cool, green shade and welcome shelter to man and beast alike.

Such a seed, such an idea took root 42 years ago in the mind of a young man, Tukaram Sahadev Bamankar, blind himself, but blessed with an inner vision and a burning desire to bring to his blind brethren the light of knowledge and the skills to work.

He is the founder of THE POONA BLIND MEN'S ASSOCIATION (PBMA), established in 1952 in a tiny room at 82, Rasta Peth, Pune. Later, he was joined by two other visually impaired men, Mr. Nanabhoy Mancherji Merchant and Mr. Niranjan Prashankar Pandya. Together the team of three built up PBMA to its present structure and status.

Our Leaders

The founder president of THE POONA BLIND MEN'S ASSOCIATION is Mr. Tukaram Sahadev Bamankar. Blind since childhood he was educated in Bombay and took a course in physiotherapy. He later shifted to Pune, where he worked for several years at the Ruby Hall Clinic and the Jehangir Nursing Home. In 1952 he rented a small room for Rs. 30/- a month in the crowded Rasta Peth area, where the POONA BLIND MEN'S, ASSOCIATION was registered.

Some years later, he was joined by Mr. Nanabhoy Mancherji Merchant, also visually impaired, who was designated as Finance and Development Secretary. He was responsible for raising resources for the Association, from a variety of fund-raising programmes carried out throughout the year. He expired in 1988.

Mr. Niranjan Pranshankar Pandya, another visually impaired young man, but with a dynamic spirit and an indomitable will to serve, joined PBMA as Honorary Secretary in 1966. With initiative Qnd foresight, Mr. Merchant and Mr. Pandya helped in acquiring a plot of land at Hadapsar, where one of the largest workshops for the visually impaired in the country has been set up.

For more details click http://www.pbmaindia.org