P.M. INAUGURATES FIRST ABILYMPICS, ASSURES
GOVERNMENT'S FINANCIAL AND INFRASTRUCTURAL SUPPORT FOR THE DISABLED
Inaugurating the
First Abilympics here today, the Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari
Vajpayee assured the persons with disabilities about Government’s
financial and infrastructural support to develop their vocational
skills and to enable them to lead a life of dignity. He also called
upon the people to give love and support to the disabled to bring
them in the mainstream of the society. He congratulated the organizers
i.e. National Abilympics Association of India for organizing the
National event and encouraged them to prepare our contestants
to bring laurels for the country in the forthcoming International
Abilympics to be held next year in New Delhi.
Welcoming the Prime
Minister for his gracious gesture to inaugurate the national event,
Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Dr. Satyanarayan
Jatiya assured the contestants about his Ministry’s full support
for development of their vocational skills and excellence in them.
He also outlined government’s various schemes for the development
and upliftment of the persons with disabilities.
Over 600 persons
with disabilities, who won gold, silver and bronze medals at the
Regional Abilympics, organized in five regions, namely, North,
South, East, West & Central India in November last year, are
participating in the National Abilympics. Those who win gold medals
in the Nationals will get an opportunity to compete with their
counterparts from other countries in the 6th International
Abilympics to be hosted by India in New Delhi, in November 2003.
The previous 5 Abilympics were held in Japan, Colombia, Hong Kong,
Australia and the Czech Republic respectively.
The uniqueness of
the Abilympics lies in the fact that the focus is on ability rather
than disability. It focuses on enhancing the abilities of persons
with disabilities and convert them into capability by imparting
training in various vocations with the intention of making them
economically self-reliant. The National Abilympics will cover
45 vocational and leisure skills providing a unique opportunity
to discover and nurture the abilities of the disabled.
The movement of Abilympics
has brought together hundreds of NGOs and thousands of persons
across the country to reach out and enable the disabled to lead
a life of dignity, with equality.
On this occasion,
children and persons with disabilities from all over country regaled
the audience with presentation of various cultural events. Shri
Satyabrata Mookherjee, Union Minister of State for Social Justice
and Empowerment, Maj. Gen. (Retd.) Narendra Singh, Smt. Aruna
Dalmiya and Dr. Uma Tuli also addressed the participants.
.