New Delhi|HL
At the opening ceremony of the Special Olympics Asia Pacific Bocce & Bowling Competition at Thyagraj Stadium in New Delhi today, Hon’ble Vice President Sh. Dhankhar said that “Our civilization in the world is unique, is more than 5000 years old. What it reflects, in Divyangjan we see divinity, we see sublimity, we see spirituality. “ By way of these games, we are celebrating something very important and that is inclusion and dignity for specially abled persons across Asia Pacific. This reflects India’s cultural ethos. Special Olympics represents our commitment to universal inclusion. ”
Expressing concern over the digital obsession by youth of the country, Shri Dhakhar said that, “ On this occasion I would like to flag a serious concern for the entire society and this is very serious. It is getting alarmingly worrisome. In today’s fast paced digital world our youth and children are increasingly consumed by small plastic screens- the mobile! They are pushed into digital playgrounds away from real playgrounds. I will ask every parent in particular to ensure that the children are not deprived of real playgrounds because of this small plastic screen. Let us make sure that this digital obsession does not deprive the children, that generation the thrill, the spirit, the enlightenment of the real playground.”
Highlighting the challenges faced by the specially abled athletes, Shri dhankhar stated, “You are champions not only on the field but also in the game of life where you triumph against challenges that many of us can only imagine. It is very easy to see their performance but just reflect, just go deep into it face. They face these challenges 24×7 and yet look at their vigour, energy and enthusiasm.”
Underlining the indomitable human spirit, the Vice-President said, “History is a testament that disability has not tamed human spirit. Human spirit is beyond taming. Human spirit will surface itself come what may notwithstanding the enormity or extremity of challenges. The spirit is irrepressible.”
Stressing on the importance of sports in life, Shri Dhankhar said, “ Sports is a language beyond dialect. Sports is a language beyond lexicon. Sports is a universal language. Sports breaks all barriers. All limitations defined by humanity, narrow-minded space are overcome by sports. Sports uniquely power human mind and when it is sports concerning specially abled children, boys and girls and elderly people, it is generation of a new light for hope.
Reflecting on the transformative shift in perception towards sports in the country, Shri Dhankhar underscored, “ We all can feel a seismic shift in the attitude towards sports in India. When I was a child, What we used to hear
“पढ़ोगे लिखोगे बनोगे नवाब
खेलोगे कूदोगे बनोगे खराब”
The idea was not pro sports. Sports was on the back burner. Now times have changed. The new mantra is,
“किताब भी जरूरी खेल भी जरूरी, दोनों के बिना ज़िंदगी अधूरी”
“Sport is no longer seen as an extracurricular activity. It is an essential part of education and life, a vehicle of character building, fostering unity and infusing us with national pride”, he added.
Stressing on the role of Divyangjans in nation building and the emergence of an enabling ecosystem, Shri Dhankhar said, “ Specially abled individuals have role to play in nation building. The largest vibrantly thriving democracy Bharat- home to one-sixth of humanity. has seen the governance becoming more inclusive by ensuring and celebrating participation of Divyangjan in democratic process. In our democratic process, the Election Commission has taken all steps, every step has been taken to ensure the fundamental right, the basic right of any person on the planet, to be a participant in deciding his or her fate by electoral ballot and vote, was made available to them.”
“Bharat is a nation that hand-holds to generate hope so that everyone has a meaningful life”, he added.
Saying that various affirmative steps that have been taken under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, so that Divyangjans can unleash their energy and potential, realise their aspirations and dreams, Vice-President noted, “ Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act passed in 2016, special queues, voting from home, braille features on EVMs, and numerous other initiatives dot our electoral process. Reservation for this category has now been enhanced from 3% to 5% in education. Indian Sign Language Research and Training Centre (ISLRTC) set up in 2015 and National Institute of Mental Health Rehabilitation (NIMHR) established in 2019 are affirmative actions. Centre for Disability Sports is being set up at Gwalior for specially-abled citizens of all types.
