TFP Bureau, Raipur; June 16, 2024: Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Dev Sai attended the All India Poor Divyang Mass Ideal Marriage Ceremony as the Chief Guest today, blessing 250 couples with disabilities as they tied the knot. The event, organized by Aastha Multipurpose Welfare Institute at Agrasen Bhawan in Durg, saw participation from Divyangjans across Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Jharkhand, and other states.
The ceremony was also graced by Lok Sabha MP Shri Vijay Baghel, MLA Shri Lalit Chandrakar, and Mayor of Municipal Corporation Durg Shri Dhiraj Bakliwal, who joined the Chief Minister in extending their best wishes to the newly-weds.
Chief Minister Sai lauded Aastha Multipurpose Welfare Institute’s efforts, calling the event a “virtuous act.” He praised the institute for its continuous work in public welfare, which includes organizing marriages for disabled individuals, conducting blood donation drives, and providing last rites for unclaimed bodies. Sai noted the respectful change in terminology from “handicapped” to “Divyang,” as advocated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and highlighted the state government’s commitment to supporting disabled people through various schemes.
In his address, MP Shri Vijay Baghel, a patron of Aastha Multipurpose Welfare Institute, detailed the organization’s 19-year history of hosting Adarsh Vivahs, with 1,890 disabled couples married to date. He also mentioned the institute’s efforts in providing last rites for 1,789 unclaimed bodies. Baghel thanked all those involved with the organization for their dedication and support.
The event saw a large turnout, including families of the disabled individuals, officials, and other dignitaries. Young men and women from Rajnandgaon, Korba, Jashpur, Surajpur, and Surguja districts expressed their gratitude for the mass marriage ceremony, citing financial constraints that had previously prevented their families from arranging weddings. The families thanked the state government and the organization for alleviating their worries.
The newly-wed couples received household items such as plates, spoons, glasses, water tanks, lotas, bowls, as well as traditional wedding gifts including mangalsutras, anklets, toe rings, and sarees from the organization.
