Jamshedpur, Oct. 15: The white cane, for scores of visually handicapped people, is as good as a pair of eyes.

Sanjeev Kumar (23) is visually-challenged and uses a white cane to navigate busy roads. But Kumar and several other people like him in the city are oblivious of the fact that today is White Cane Day. A resident of Tarapore Colony and a member of the National Association for the Blind (NAB), Kumar said he had never heard about White Cane Day. “I only know that the cane helps me reach my destination safely,” he said, adding candidly that he did not know the significance of the cane. And he did not seem too bothered about it either. What Kumar was more concerned about is the apathetic treatment meted out to him by people on the streets everyday. “The government has provided 75 per cent concession in air and rail tickets for us. There is also a provision to keep at least one seat vacant for the visually challenged in trains and buses. But such provisions remain only on paper.” Kumar rued.

However, Siyaram Singh, Kumar’s colleague at the NAB, is aware about the importance of White Cane Day. “The white cane denotes that the person carrying it is totally blind. The red portion on the cane means s/he is also deaf. I learnt this at the National Institute for the Visually Handicapped, Dehra Dun,” said 40-year-old Singh. He said White Cane Day is observed to inform people about the visually-impaired.

Most people in the city have no clue about the significance of the white cane. “It is a stick which helps old people walk properly. I don’t why some youths also carry them,” said Arun Thakur, a businessman.

There are 130 blind and partially-blind members at the NAB, an NGO which works for the visually handicapped. Not all officials of the NAB are aware about White Cane Day either. “I have not heard about it. I only know about Flag Day for the Blind on September 15” said Neeraj Mishra, development co-ordinator of the NAB.

Visually-challeneged Jaidev Chowdhury said: “People in the steel city are very self-centered. No one bothers to offer a seat on buses. If I run into someone Accidentally, they use abuse me,” he said.