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PM Modi Story By : Dr Ramapati Ram Tripathi
PM Shri Narendra Modi suggested to use ‘Divyang’ for differently abled persons instead of ‘Viklang’ in 2015. To many it was only use of a different word, but words have infinite power to influence everything. We can see the change now. It also shows the compassion and the care that PM Shri Modi has for Divyang people.
However, PM Shri Modi’s attitude towards differently abled people was the same even in his early days. There are many instances from his early life where he cared for or helped a differently abled person. Sharing an anecdote from the 90’s where Modi fulfilled and followed-up on his promise to a Divyang.
During general elections of 1999, Shri Narendra Modi was in Lucknow for party work. Once he was going out in a car for some program. A Divyang was standing at the gate. As he was crossing the gate, party workers got the Divyang person stand at one side of the gate. The car crossed but Shri Narendra Modi spotted this incident.
He stopped the car, got out of it and went to the Divyang person. He asked him for the reason why he had come there. The Divyang person told him that he needed a tricycle and that’s why he had come.
Shri Narendra Modi was accompanied by Dr Ramapati Ram Tripathi who is currently a Lok Sabha MP from Deoria in Uttar Pradesh.
Looking at Dr. Tripathi, Shri Modi asked him to arrange a tricycle for that Divyang person. Dr. Tripathi asked him to get his name and address noted at his office and assured Modi of helping him.
After two months of this incident, Shri Narendra Modi again went to Lucknow. One evening as he was discussing party works with the leaders, he asked Dr Ramapati Ram Tripathi whether the tricycle was made available for that Divyang person. Dr Tripathi had actually forgotten to follow-up on this after that incident.
The next morning Dr. Tripathi went to the Divyang person and took him to Shri Narendra Modi. Dr. Tripathi told Modi that here is the person and you can see he is riding the tricycle.
Narrating this incident, Dr Ramapati Ram Tripathi said that even when he had forgotten about the incident, Shri Narendra Modi remembered it after months and followed-up on his promise to the Divyang. This shows the kind of compassion he has in his heart for Divyangs.