Assistant Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation Veena Bhatnagar on Friday say the public should  stop ostracising children with disabilities.

“There are still adults and children out there who treat these children like they are the plague,” Ms Bhatnagar said.

Ms Bhatnagar was speaking during the Diwali celebrations with students of the Suva Special School.

“We as parents and citizens of this ever growing nation should take a look at our daily life and how we categorise people.”

Ms Bhatnagar said during Diwali celebrations people often forget that every festival had a message, it had a meaning, and a cue on the moral standards people needed to apply in their lives.

“There are many facilities, like this school today, that train and teach, and try to help these children overcome their set back in life,” she said.

Ms Bhatnagar said the support, that intent to create equity for our children with special needs, gives them the love they deserve like every other child.

“Giving them that extra care because they have a special need, teaching our children to give equal respect to people with disabilities and to go a little extra mile to look after them is the humanity the spirit of Diwali is all about,” she said.

“Every child in Fiji grows up with a sense of excitement about Diwali. All over the country, candles are lit and Fijians celebrate with their families, friends and neighbours,” she said.

Ms Bhatnagar said Diwali was a reminder to us that it was our responsibility to look out for each other, see beyond gender, race, religion, age, abilities and status and do what was right.

Edited by Rusiate Mataika

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