[Assam] Anjana lone member from NE

[Ram Sarangapani]

This from today's AT.

Sometime ago, I had written about Ashadeep, and about Mukul & Anjana
Goswami.
Ashadeep, is a rehab for women. Alpana & I have had the opportunity to visit
Ashadeep at their Guwahati location a number of times. I really don't have
enough words to describe the great work that the Goswamis and their staff
perform everyday, late into the night, and often without salaries.

Please join me in congratulating Anjana Goswami on being the only person
from the NE to represent us in the Special Olympics in China.

--Ram

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By A City Correspondent
 GUWAHATI, Sept 24 – When the Flame of Hope of the Special Olympics World
Summer Games 2007 sends its sparks towards the October skies, it would not
only be a salute to the indomitable human spirit, but also a celebration of
the accomplishments of thousands of people with intellectual disabilities.

The Special Olympics, one of the world's largest sporting events for the
persons with intellectual disabilities, scheduled from October 2 to 11 in
the city of Shanghai, China will this year have the only representative from
the North East. Anjana Goswami, director of Ashadeep, a mental health
society would be the lone delegate from the North East in the Indian
contingent that is going to leave for Shanghai on September 28.

It needs mention here that the Special Olympics is the platform for
individuals and families to embrace the diversity and celebrate all
differences. This year more than 7000 athletes from 169 countries, 40,000
volunteers and 3500 event officials will be participating in the sporting
event.

"It is really a great moment for us and we are confident that the exposure
will help us in preparing our athletes," said Anjana.

So far no athlete from the State has participated in the Special Olympics.

"Our athletes with intellectual disability have the ability to become world
champions, provided they get the required training and the opening," said
Anjana.

The theme of the 2007 Special Olympics is in keeping with the mantra, which
the persons with intellectual disabilities are taught to follow. "I know I
can, that is the theme of this year's games," informed Anjana.

The participants and their families would reach out to each other so that
the spirit of unity on the playing fields is extended to embrace the world
to make a better way of life for all. The participants would be competing in
23 different sports.

"The Special Olympics is an occasion to learn to accept each other so that
we all can contribute to the society," said Anjana.

Apart from the sporting events, the host country has made arrangement for
review of groundbreaking studies in the area of intellectual disabilities
and on subjects ranging from health and fitness to attitude change to the
impact of the Special Olympics movement.

"The need of the hour is to create a new global vision of acceptance," said
Anjana, adding that despite differences, the human race enjoyed a
fundamental commonality and the spirit of the Special Olympics should touch
the everyday life so that persons with any type of disability are able to
live in dignity.
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