MUNGELI : A two-day national symposium will be held at Sonkar College, Mungeli on January 17 and 18, with Professor V.K. Saraswat, Vice-Chancellor of Pt. Sundarlal Sharma (Open) University, Raipur, set to inaugurate the event.
Organised jointly by Sonkar College and the All India Viklang Chetna Parishad (AIVCP), the symposium will bring together scholars, speakers and research students from eight to nine Indian states to deliberate on issues related to disability discourse.
AIVCP National President Dr. Vinay Kumar Pathak said the programme will also feature the release of “Viklang Vimarsh Ki Kahaniyan – Part Two”, edited by Dr. Anita Singh. Dr. Pathak said the symposium is expected to foster inclusive dialogue on disability rights, challenges and opportunities. He highlighted that the Parishad has been instrumental in organising over two dozen national and international conferences, publishing numerous scholarly works, and facilitating free medical camps and assistive devices for persons with disabilities.
The symposium stems from a memorandum of understanding signed between Sonkar College and the Parishad to promote academic and social intervention in the field of disability studies. “The discourse on disability, which began in the region around Bilaspur, has matured into a broad-based academic and cultural movement,” Dr. Pathak said.
Madan Mohan Agarwal, National General Secretary of AIVCP, said the collaboration would help strengthen educational and social opportunities for people with disabilities. Symposium Coordinator Dr. Gajendra Tiwari emphasised the need for sensitisation on disability issues, noting that disability affects individuals irrespective of age, caste or creed and requires a holistic social response.
Founder of Sonkar Group of Institutions and social worker Santulal Sonkar called for equal opportunities and elimination of discrimination against persons with disabilities. Director of Sonkar College Shiv Ashish Sonkar underscored the importance of using the term ‘divyang’ to reflect dignity and respect, and spoke about the need for accessible infrastructure under the Accessible India Campaign.
Kiran Sonkar, College Treasurer, said that the symposium aims to foster a society where all individuals can live with dignity and equal participation.
Prominent academicians expected to attend include Dr. Ramgopal Singh (Ahmedabad, Gujarat), Dr. Suresh Maheshwari (Aamlaner, Maharashtra), Dr. Ramanarayan Patel (Delhi), Dr. Ramshankar Bharti (Jhansi), Dr. Payal Lilhare (Niwari, Madhya Pradesh), Dr. Meena Soni (Jharsuguda, Odisha), Dr. Sharda Prasad (Ramgarh, Jharkhand) and Lipsa Patel (Sundargarh, Odisha).
Registration for the event has already begun, with active participation expected from students and faculty across the region.
