Delhi's Talkatora Indoor Stadium reverberated with energetic performances by differently-abled dancers affected by serious spinal injuries Tuesday, on the eve of the 3rd Spinal Cord Injury Day.
Organised by Indian Spinal Injuries Centre (ISIC) and International Spinal Cord Society (ISCoS), the cultural event witnessed breathtaking performances with prime focus on increasing awareness about spinal injuries while advocating inclusive life for persons with disability.
Speaking at the event, Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Vijay Sampla said that a change of mindset towards disability was required without hurting their self-esteem.
"The disability they suffer is purely physical but these people are determined to prove themselves as equal, which they are, provided the society lends a helpful hand...The cultural evening today is a wonderful step in that direction, the precision of the dancers left me awed," the minister said.
The evening witnessed performances by wheelchair-bound, hearing and speech-impaired artistes from 'We Are One' group with a list comprising a Bharatnatyam performance, Yoga asanas, and Bollywood dance numbers.
The artistes also delivered a patriotic dance performance on famous A R Rahman song "Maa Tujhe Salaam".
More From This Section
World Spinal Cord Injury Day, celebrated on September 5 evert year, has the theme 'Stop Spinal Cord Injuries' this year.
Harvinder Singh Chhabra of ISCoS said that the society needed to be sensitised towards the safety rules on roads or while at work.
"The damage to the spinal cord can be one of the most debilitating injuries. Those who have suffered will find it difficult to lead a normal life unlike able-bodied. We will be happy to see real-life measures such as staircases complemented with a ramp after this year's programme, that will be the mark of how successful our efforts are," Chhabra said.
The event was also attended by H P S Ahluwalia, chairman-ISIC; Eish Singhal, deputy commissioner of police traffic; gold-medalist bodybuilder Shashi Kumar; and actor Sukhmani Lamba among others.