Music, dance enrich thinking of mentally retarded: Kalam

Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 4 (UNI) Former President A P J Abdul Kalam today said music and dance could enrich the thinking capacity and the brain of mentally-retarded children.

Arts could help the mentally challenged gain freedom from all sufferings, he said after visiting the Freedom Centre, an institute for Performing Arts for the Mentally Challenged.

Director of the centre Father Felix said these children were often denied the right to artistic expression and marginalised by the society. The institute's mission was to empower the mentally challenged and bring them to the mainstream of the society through the medium of arts.

The centre, inaugurated by Mr Kalam in 2000, had its first batch of students under training. The centre taught different arts forms like Bharatanatyam, Mohiniyattam, Kuchipudi, Odissi, Sitar, Violin, Thanburu and other musical instruments.

The children performed Odissi and Kuchipudi dance, besides rendering songs at the function.

UNI