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President Patil turns 75, celebrates birthday with children

Patil celebrated her birthday with differently-abled children and 51 orphans from Naxal-hit Chhattisgarh, who had come to the Rashtrapati Bhavan to wish her.

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President Pratibha Patil turned 75 today and celebrated her birthday with differently-abled children besides over 400 visitors from across the country, including 51 orphans from Naxal-hit Chhattisgarh, who had come to the sprawling Rashtrapati Bhavan to wish her.

The day started with visits by vice president Hamid Ansari and his wife, Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar and the three service chiefs along with their spouses wishing her. Patil, who celebrated her third birthday as president, cut a cake amidst children with special needs who performed at a cultural programme organised by Tamana Association.     

In her address at the silver jubilee celebrations of the organisation, Patil cited examples of Tom Whittaker, who climbed Mount Everest with a prosthetic leg in 1998 and acclaimed music composer Beethoven, who turned deaf, besides others and said every effort must be taken to empower and integrate children with special needs in the society.

"Apart from ensuring that assistive devices are available easily and at affordable prices, science and technology must be used for the development of more user friendly systems for empowerment, rehabilitation and integration," she said.

Patil said, "In my own life, I often recall the hard work and the effort that was required while working first as a lawyer and then in public life. Throughout this time, it was the values of perseverance and commitment that have been my guide." "Moreover, there was always hope that the future held the promise of progress and prosperity for the people of India and for the nation. Indeed, it is eternal hope that is a driving force in a human being's life. It generates optimism and faith in their ability to face challenges," Patil said.

She donated Rs75,000 for the Tamana Corpus Fund.

Union HRD minister Kapil Sibal presided over the ceremony, in which students of Tamana presented a show choreographed by Shiamak Davar's Victory Arts Foundation.

"We are moving an amendment in the budget session to bring autistic children, children with cerebral palsy and multiple disabilities into the school system," said Sibal.

Later at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Patil met over 400 people who had come to wish her with flowers and even a 75-feet long card from Tirupati.

Patil distributed chocolates to all children who had come over. While almost all gifted her flowers or shawls, she also got a Ganesha carved in the middle of a stone from someone.

She distributed blankets to representatives of NGOs.

Former Union home minister Shivraj Patil and Sikkim governor Balmiki Prasad Singh had wished the president in the morning. Prime minister Manmohan Singh, who has come back from Copenhagen Summit and Congress president Sonia Gandhi are to meet the president in the evening.

Many others, including various ministers, sent bouquets. Governor of Tamil Nadu Surjit Singh Barnala also sent packed delicacies from the state for the president.

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