Modi's September 17 birthday celebrations aim for four records

New Delhi, Sep 15: Celebrations in connection with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 66th birthday on September 17 at Navasari district in Gujarat will aim to set three Guinness World Records and one at the national level, the organisers said here on Thursday.

The celebrations, to be organised by the Gujarat government, will see distribution of 17,000 kits among 11,223 differently-abled people.

The organisers aim to break a world record for maximum number of people in wheelchairs who form an image or a logo. The previous record was made in the US by 346 wheelchair-bound persons in 2010.

On Modi's birthday, the new record will involve 1,000 persons on wheelchairs, an official of the organising committee said.

Another record expected to be set anew will be by providing hearing aids to another 1,000 hearing-impaired persons. The previous record was made in Australia.

As many as 1,500 oil lamps will be lit simultaneously at a single location to establish another record.

The event will be monitored by officials from the Guinness World Records.

"The programme is inspired by the central government's 'Accessible India' campaign. Under this, people with disability will be given hearing aids, wheelchairs and tricycles, chairs meant for cerebral palsy patients, calipers and prosthetics and multi-sensory integrated educational development kits," the official from the organising committee told IANS.

The intended beneficiaries will also receive cheques for various amounts under the National Award for the Empowerment of Persons With Disabilities.

Union Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot will also be present at the celebrations, the officials said.

IANS