Provide emotional support to girl child: President

New Delhi, Aug 28 (UNI) President Pratibha Devisingh Patil today urged the people to provide special attention to the girl child and children in distress and help them have a bright future.

The President was speaking at Rashtrapati Bhavan today on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan. Children from various parts of the country were present on the occasion, which was also an opportunity for cultural integration.

The President said it was on such occasions that society can in a small way fill the void existing in the lives of children affected by distress.

''Generally, financial support is available for these children, but perhaps it is the emotional support of society which can lift their spirit and morale to succeed against all odds.

''Let us reaffirm our commitment as a society to provide them with a bright future by all means on this occasion of Raksha Bandhan and tie the bond of love, affection, care and concern with all these children who are not fortunate to have their natural childhood,'' she said.

Education also played a major role in their development.

Education was a tool through which a person got self-respect and confidence. ''On this day of Raksha Bandhan, I would also like to emphasise that every effort should be made to prevent practices, which have an adverse impact on the male-female population balance.

The girl child has as much rights as a male child.'' This year's Raksha Bandhan gathering at Rashtrapati Bhavan brought together nearly 100 children from different parts of the country. These children were from the militancy affected areas of Jammu and Kashmir and the North East, children who lost their parents in communal riots, children who lost their fathers or mothers serving in the Armed Forces and the Police, HIV positive children, differently abled children and those suffering from Thalassaemia.

The children also had an interaction with the President during breakfast and were taken on a guided tour of Rashtrapati Bhavan. For many of them this was their first visit to a place outside their state.

The children were from Help Foundation (Srinagar), Muskan (Jammu), All India Quami Mahaz (Ahmedabad), Maitri Gram (Guwahati), Plan India (Tamil Nadu), Aman Biradari, Action India and Prayas, SOS Care India, Hostel and Vocational Training Institute for Blind (all from Delhi), Foundation Against Thalessaemia (Faridabad), Balgram (Sonepat).

In addition, students from Residential Colleges run by the Bharatiya Netraheen Kalyan Parishad, Residential Schools run by the Delhi Arya Pratinidhi Sabha and Mother's Pride School (all from Delhi) and the Special School for Mentally Retarded and Hearing Impaired from Rewari were present.

UNI