21-year-old Bharat Chouhan cannot walk because of an impairment in his legs. But that does not deter the enthusiastic boy from Khandwa in Madhya Pradesh and his friends from dancing their heart away. In the Capital to be a part of Sambhav, the boys performed a adivasi Bharela dance to a rousing reception from the crowd.
Bharat who teaches part time in his school, wants to be a teacher when he passes college. "Jobs should come to us as it does to an able-bodied man. We should also be allowed to show our skills", he says.
Groups of physically-challenged children from over 20 countries congregated at the India International Centre on Friday for a three-day-long festival. Inaugurated by Union Minister of Science and Technology Dr Harshvardhan, the function is in its ninth edition, and is organised by A.L.P.A.N.A., an organisation focused on the promotion of performing arts and normative action among those with the physically and mentally challenged.
“If we were not told, one could not have told that these children are impaired by a disability. Disability is a state of the mind, and disabled are those who think that these hindrances make the physically-challenged any lesser than us. All of us must go beyond our own children and take care of others who need us,” said the minister.
The three-day festival will have performing groups from Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Mauritius, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam.
Instituted in 2006 by dancer Alpana Nayak, A.L.P.A.N.A. has held the function for almost a decade now. Although funds are a problem, the organisation started a school in 2004 to impart creative skills to the physically-challenged. “The kind of effort you can expect from the government does not come in. In our interaction with the several countries around the world, we have found that smaller nations like Indonesia and Thailand care for their disabled than richer countries,” said BK Dash.
Dash says that even though there is no scientific proof to correlate the link between the creative arts and the development of these children. “What has encouraged us is their immediate psychological changes. Last year, after the function ended and we were about to retire for the night, I was called to the hostel where the participating children are kept. To my surprise, I found them dancing and singing till midnight. Even a long day of performances did not deter them,” said Dash.
President Pranab Mukherjee too sent in his wishes to the children via a video message. “The Preamble of our Constitution has assured and promised individual dignities and equal opportunities to every person. It is, therefore, incumbent upon all of us to extend equal opportunities to the disabled. Every individual should be allowed the choice to do what they can in their field of choice to excel in life. I wish all success to A.L.P.A.N.A.,” said Mukherjee.
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