Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said that PM Narendra Modi transformed how the country views disability by replacing the word ‘Viklang’ with ‘Divyang’. He emphasised that this shift reflects dignity and empowerment for differently-abled people.
Addressing a ceremony at Shri Parsmal Bohra Blind College in Jodhpur, Amit Shah laid the foundation stone of three new educational buildings, a college building, a boys’ hostel, and a girls’ hostel, worth nearly ₹15 crore.
He expressed confidence that these facilities would bring new hope and opportunities for children with disabilities.
Shah lauded educationist Sushila Bohra for decades of service to the differently-abled community through schools, colleges, hostels, Braille printing press, recorded lectures, screen readers, computer labs, and libraries.
“Her efforts have enabled many visually impaired students to secure jobs in government, banking, private sectors, and even practice law in the Supreme Court,” Amit Shah said.
Recalling the renaming of Viklang to Divyang in 2015, Amit Shah said, “When society begins to see disabled persons as a symbol of divinity, true empowerment begins.”
He highlighted the achievements of Paralympic athletes such as Rajasthan’s Devendra Jhajharia, who proved that disability is no barrier to excellence.
Shah pointed out that India won only eight Paralympic medals between 1960 and 2012, but secured 52 medals in the last three Paralympic Games due to government support.
The Union Minister said the Department for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities’ budget increased from ₹338 crore in 2014 to ₹1,313 crore today.
Under the Accessible India Campaign, ₹563 crore was spent to make 1,314 government buildings and 90 airports Divyang-friendly. He added that over 3.1 million people received artificial limbs through 18,000 camps in the past decade, compared to just seven lakh before 2014.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma hailed Amit Shah’s role in reshaping India’s security and justice systems, citing the removal of Article 370, the implementation of new criminal laws, and the CAA.
He said that the new buildings, Motilal Oswal Gyandeep Bhawan (college), Motilal Oswal Jyoti Sadan (girls’ hostel), and HG Foundation Divya Jyoti Bhawan (boys’ hostel), will open new doors for differently-abled children.
He also called PM Modi’s Divyang initiative a historic step towards dignity and empowerment.
Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said that Jodhpur, known for compassion and culture, will now become a hub for inclusive education.
The new infrastructure, he said, will encourage self-respect and self-reliance among students with disabilities.
At the event, Shah released the Braille version of ‘Main Na Thaki Na Haari’, the biography of Sushila Bohra. Philanthropists supporting the institute were honoured.
Supreme Court Justice Sandeep Mehta, Education Minister Madan Dilawar, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Jogaram Patel, Social Justice Minister Avinash Gehlot, and other dignitaries also attended the ceremony along with a large gathering of citizens.
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