Signs & stories in Bengaluru: A revolution is under way in Cubbon Park's quiet corners

Time of India

3 days ago

Bengaluru: Amid the rustling leaves and bird calls during calm weekend mornings inside Cubbon Park, a quiet revolution is under way — one that doesn't need spoken words to be powerful.
Gathered on the grass with books on their laps and stories in their hearts, a group of hearing-impaired individuals meets, not just to read, but to feel, share, and heal.
They call it the Deaf Bookwave. This isn't a typical book club with rushed monologues or loud debates. Instead, the conversations here unfold in expressive gestures, in shared glances, and in the warm, invisible thread of community that connects hearing-impaired individuals across a noisy city.
The idea was sparked by 23-year-old Parmeet Singh, a soft-spoken but determined psychology and English literature student. Deaf since birth, Parmeet lived in Delhi, Chennai, Uttarakhand, and Hyderabad, before finally finding a home and purpose in the tech capital. On March 31 this year, he launched Deaf Bookwave and two weeks later, the first meeting was held under the shade of Cubbon Park's giant raintrees.
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"Each meeting isn't just about discussing books," Parmeet explained.
"It's about emotional sharing, deaf-led storytelling, and community bonding. People bring any book they like, and then share their stories in Indian Sign Language (ISL). The group listens — not with ears, but with eyes and hearts."
Since April, the group has held four meets — three in Bengaluru and one in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. The next one? In Delhi. The movement is slowly rippling across cities, powered not by promotion, but by word of hand.
At the most recent Cubbon Park session, 28 deaf readers gathered — the largest turnout yet. The books they discussed: Helen Keller: Life Story, The Little Book of Confidence, and Dear Stranger, I Know How You Feel. These weren't just titles, they were emotional mirrors for them.
Nithin Gowda, a participant, shared how, despite his struggles with reading, ISL explanations opened up the text to him. "I experienced so many thoughts and emotions.
It was a really great experience," he signed with a smile.
For Vaishnavi, another participant, the impact was even deeper. "In my past, I didn't really understand what was right or wrong. But during the Deaf Bookwave session, they discussed life through books. That really changed me."
Every meeting is part storytelling circle, part group therapy, and part celebration. The rules are simple: Bring any book you love, sign your story, and listen — not with ears, but with empathy.
"There's something magical that happens when deaf people come together in a space where they feel safe and understood," Parmeet said. "At the end of one session, a participant told me, 'My eyes are open now.' That moved me deeply.
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At a time when libraries and classrooms rarely cater to the hearing-impaired community, Deaf Bookwave is turning book reading into a shared and visual experience for the participants.
Parmeet plans to take Deaf Bookwave to other parts of the country. "There are so many deaf individuals out there who are intelligent, thoughtful, and full of emotion, but they don't have spaces to express themselves. I want to change that."
— Prathikaa Shastry