The 12th edition of Anjali National Children’s Festival, organised by Swabhiman, concluded on November 14 last. As Swabhiman is working for the persons with disabilities in Odisha and is a State level disability information and resource center, the kids’ carnival showcased the talent and creativity of many physically disordered students.
This year, the theme of the festival was jungle land, which brought a whiff of a fantasy land in the Anjali camp held at the Advasi Ground here.
Inaugurating the valedictory ceremony of the festival, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said, “Without discriminating, we have to give everything to these physically disabled children what they deserve. The State Government has launched a plethora of schemes to help these children achieve self identity and live with self respect.” Patnaik praised Chief Executive of the organisation Dr Sruti Mohapatra for organising such a beautiful festival.
“We are trying to make equal the normal and disabled children in the society through these programmes,” said Sruti Mohapatra, adding, handicap children showed their talents here in the field of art, dance, music and magic etc like the normal children.
A total of 160 volunteers were engaged in the Adivasi Ground to cooperate and help. Mohapatra thanked them for their tireless effort.
Volunteer Kumarika Rath, who is a social work student, said, “We enjoyed here a lot by mixing with these children. We want to come here every year.”
From eight States and 25 districts, around 515 children, including their escorts, had participated in the festival.
Escort Roshan Thakur of Ranchi, who came with six physically disabled children on behalf of Dipsikha Institute of Child Development, said children enjoyed a lot here.
“In school, the students remain confined to the class rooms and hardly get an opportunity to mix with others. But here they joined with other children and displayed their talent in various sectors,” she said, adding that physically disabled children can do a lot of activities like normal children.
Among others, MP Prasanna Kumar Patasani, Women and Child Development (WCD) Secretary Aarti Ahuja and Passport Officer Padma Mohanty were present at the valedictory ceremony and congratulated Mohapatra, the chief organiser of the show.
The four-day festival included many workshops under the disciplines of art, pottery, terracotta, magic, modern dance and music etc followed by many cultural functions.