Ensuring a 'divyang' contributes to nation building should be society's responsibility: Amit Shah

Highlighting that a lot is required to be done to address the challenges facing the 'divyang' community, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said we must ensure a system where it becomes the society's responsibility to make sure that a divyang contributes to nation building and grows in life.

Shah was here to lay the foundation for three projects of Parasmal Bohra Netraheen Mahavidhyalaya, accompanied by Chief minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Supreme court judges and state ministers.

Recognising the efforts of the institution in improving the lives of people with disabilities, Shah highlighted how small endeavours with contributions of people from different fields bring about major changes.


"In such a way, one day we will certainly be able to ensure a good life and career for them (divyangs)," Shah said.

The home minister also mentioned the government's efforts in addressing the issues pertaining to the Divyang community, and in changing the perspective towards them - by replacing the term "viklang" (disabled) with "divyang", meaning divine body, in 2015.

"This one alteration of term changed the perspective of people and governments," Shah said, adding, "We must ensure a system where it is the society's responsibility to make sure that a divyang contributes to nation building and grows in life."

Citing his meeting with two-time Paralympic gold medallist javelin thrower Devendra Jhajharia from Churu in Rajasthan, Shah said nothing is impossible if the society, governments and NGOs work in tandem.

"India won a few medals in the Paralympics between 1960 and 2013, before clinching a whopping 52 medals in the past three Games," Shah said.

"This indicates that nothing is impossible, all we need is someone to hold their hand. The government has increased the budget for the Divyang Empowerment Department from Rs 338 crore in 2014 to Rs 1,313 crore today," he added.