Kalyani, Aug. 6: Around 200 special children suffering from cerebral palsy, mental retardation, autism joined a rally in Kalyani today along with their parents under the “Inclusive India” campaign organized by union ministry of social justice in association with its registered host organization Kalyani Life Institute. The rally marked the beginning of weeklong campaigning in Bengal that is aimed to include the differently-abled children and persons in the mainstream of education, employment and community opportunities and to create awareness among the people as a whole about the troubles the children and their parents facing. The children tied rachis, a band of love, on the hands of pedestrians conveying a message of fraternity ending social isolation. Secretary of KLI Siddhartha Sankar Mukhopadhyay said: “The Government of India has taken up initiative to facilitate equal opportunities and to ensure rights as well as full participation of these children and persons in every aspect. To begin with three core areas have been identified for this programme – education, employment and community life. For Example, under ‘inclusive education’ initiative large-scale awareness campaigns would be executed on pan-India basis, making schools and colleges inclusive for the children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Similarly under ‘inclusive employment’ initiative” over 2000 corporate organizations have been engaged to create awareness for employment with for persons with intellectual disabilities”. Pictures by Tapan Das
‘Inclusive India’ Awareness Drive To Ensure Rights For Special Children
