Silent stories: Unique evening ‘adda’ of speech, hearing impaired
BALURGHAT: As twilight descends over Balurghat’s Thana More and High School ground, a different kind of gathering takes place — quiet yet full of life, silent yet powerfully expressive. Every evening, a small group of speech and hearing-impaired individuals come together in what has become a heartwarming ritual: a “silent adda” that transcends language and sound.
Unlike typical social gatherings filled with chatter, this one resonates through animated gestures, expressive eyes and heartfelt laughter. There are no spoken words but the intensity of connection, humour and emotion rivals any verbal conversation. These individuals — students, daily wage earners and shop assistants — may have lost the ability to hear or speak but have found a deeper form of communication in sign language and shared humanity.
Sangram Barua of Rathatala Para is one of the pioneers of this adda. Having learned sign language up to class 10 in Kolkata through the Red Cross Society, he returned to Balurghat and began introducing it to friends like Aniruddha Saha from Uttamasha Para, who had only studied till class 4 and initially knew no sign language.
Slowly, others such as Dipankar Mallick from Kalikapur and Kajol Das from Khidirpur joined, forming a growing circle of companionship and understanding. “Initially, none of my friends knew sign language,” Sangram wrote on a piece of paper. “But during our regular evening meets, I started teaching them. Now we can share jokes, memories and even debate — without a single word spoken.”
Aniruddha added through his mobile: “Sign language is our soul’s language. Here, no one is left behind. Our stories are just as rich — only told through our hands and eyes.”
Passersby often stop, moved by the group’s silent exchanges. Their bond is a quiet revolution — defying isolation, championing inclusivity and redefining communication.
In a world where voices are often drowned in noise, Balurghat’s silent adda reminds us of something deeper: that true friendship doesn’t require sound — just empathy, presence and a language of the heart.
