Let's use 'divyang' for physically challenged: Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday urged the people to start using the term 'Divyang' in place of 'Viklang' for the physically challenged people.

Giving example of a visually challenged teacher from Ahmedabad, Dilip Chouhan, who organised 'AccessIble India Day' at his school, Modi during his monthly radio address 'Mann Ki Baat' said the teacher called him to apprise him about 'Accessible India Campaign'.

Chouhan told the prime minister how 2,000 children were addressed during the campaign on the issue of disability and how awareness could be spread to help differently-abled people.

"We often address the physically challenged people as handicapped, disable and specially-abled persons. But sometimes when we get introduced to them, we get to know that they are endowed with 'extra power' which can't be seen with bare eyes," the prime minister said.

"Then this idea came to my mind: why don't we use the term 'divyang' (divine body) instead of 'viklang' for the physically challenged people?"

"They are endowed with an organ which has divine powers. Normal people like us are not gifted with such powers," said Modi.