PM Modi speaks at a function organised to distribute assistive aids and devices to differently-abled people in... Read More

PRAYAGRAJ: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said a government is obligated to ensure justice and equal benefits for all sections of society.

Citing the “ mangal mantra” from the Vedas , the PM said: “Sarkar kaa yeh dayitava hai ki har vyakti ka bhalaa ho, har vyakti ko nayay mile. Yahi soch toh sabka saath, sabka vikas aur sabka vishwas ka aadhaar hai (it is the responsibility of the government to ensure that every person is included, gets the benefit of development and gets justice).”

Speaking at a function here organised to distribute aid to the differently abled , Modi said the “mangal mantra” which is often invoked at religious ceremonies, has also been the fount of “sabka sath, sabka vikas, sabka vishwas” credo of his government.

Modi’s remarks acquire significance in the backdrop of the communal violence in Delhi as well as unrest among Muslims over the new citizenship law. He, however, made no reference to the riots that rocked the north-eastern parts of the capital.

“Our government is working for the development of each person of society and to make their life better,” he said at the event where aid and assistance were handed over to over 27,000 differently abled persons.

Modi came back to the theme of the need for a government not to discriminate among citizens by again referring to the ‘mangal mantra’ at the end of his speech. “In the beginning of my talk, I had discussed about the responsibility of the government. The last line of the same manta is: Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu. It says that ‘in this world, every section of society, every citizen and everyone should prosper and be happy,” the PM signed off.

Three Guinness records were created at the event, including longest parade of hand operated tri-cycles (300 manual tricycles covering a distance of 1.8 km), the most-hand operated cycles distributed in one hour (626 free tricycles were given in one hour) and the longest moving queues of tricycles (400 tricycles, in three queues, paraded simultaneously for 13 minutes).

Different items, worth over Rs 19.3 crore, for the aid of differently abled persons and senior citizens were distributed at the events.

Hitting out at governments in the past, the PM said ‘they’ were insensitive to the needs of differently abled persons for the past 70 years, but his dispensation was thinking about their problems and finding ways to reduce their issues.

Calling the city as ‘Prayagraj nayay ki nagri hai’, Modi said he regrets that the good work his government is doing is not talked about much. He also said in the past five years, his government has held around 9,000 camps in various parts of the country.

Praising the commitment and determination of differently abled persons, Modi said, “I am of the view that these equipment will only assist your ‘buland hausla’ (strong confidence) as you are those who have challenged the challenge. Your real strength is your patience, saamarthya (capacity) and mind.”

He also said that be it industry, service sector or sports, skills of the ‘divyang jan’ are being continuously encouraged and it is a matter of pride that India has done so well in several of the competitions held for people with disability. “One sports centre in Gwalior is being established to tap the talent,” he added.

During his over 30-minute address, the PM gave an account of government schemes for the differently abled and senior citizens.

