Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday appreciated the achievements of "divyangs" (the disabled) in various fields and praised them for their determination and courage.
"Our divyang brothers and sisters are firm in their resolve. They are competent, capable, courageous and determined and are performing well in all walks of life -- be it sports, or social initiatives," he said in his monthly radio programme "Mann Ki Baat".
The Prime Minister noted that divyang sportspersons won four medals in the Rio Olympics "through their stellar performances".
"They also emerged champions in the T-20 Cricket World Cup for the visually challenged.
"Divyangs from different parts of the country participated and displayed their skills the 17th National Para-Swimming Competition was held in Udaipur," he said.
He complimented 19-year-old Jigar Thakkar from Gujarat, who suffers from 80 per cent muscle atrophy, for winning 11 medals in the National Para Swimming Competition.
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Modi also spoke about the contribution of Tushar, an eight-year-old divyang boy from Madhya Pradesh who, he said "had taken a firm resolve to transform the village into Open Defecation Free".
He added that it is must to ensure that every person in the country is empowered. "Let us move forward with each other together."
--IANS
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