Jammu, Mar 17 (PTI) The Army has won hearts by arranging a wheelchair and monthly pension for a boy born with congenital club foot in a remote mountainous village in Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir, an Army officer said on Thursday.
Nine-year-old Waris Hussain Wani, a resident of Shiri village in Mughal Maidan, was returning home from the market when he was noticed by an army patrolling party in January, walking all alone with severe difficulty, he said.
“Wani was not able to walk in extreme cold and the troops helped him reach home safely. They did not stop there but the matter was brought to the notice of the concerned civil officers and the case was successfully followed. Finally, he was provided with a wheelchair and a monthly pension of Rs 1000 by the social welfare department,” Jammu-based defence PRO Lt Col Devender Anand said.
He said despite facing the problem, the actions and the spirit with which the boy has moved on in life is an inspiration for all.
“Like other children of his age, he does go to school, studies well and also does most of the work on his own,” he said, adding life in mountains is really tough but this has made Wani even tougher and strengthened his grit and resolve.
“He has always dreamt of becoming a teacher and to be a contributor to the society…Recognising his zeal, Army stepped up to ease out his hardships,” Lt Col Anand, who shared a video of the boy on his official Twitter handle, said.
Wani is high on confidence and with his new wheelchair and pension, his resolve has become even stronger towards realising his dream of becoming a teacher, the PRO said.
“He is presently in Class 4th and has already become a role model for the boys and the youth in the region,” Lt Col Anand said.
Wani’s father Altaf Hussain, who works as a labourer, thanked the local Rashtriya Rifles unit of the army for its help and said his son is now moving freely and also able to study with much better concentration.
Earlier in September 2019, the army adopted Lohi Dhar village’s Sheetal Devi, who was born with Phocomelia — a condition where both her hands are underdeveloped, for education.
The girl, who is presently in Class 10, was helped to get artificial limbs with the support of two non-governmental organisations and was also tested for potential for para sports last year, the PRO said.
“She is all likely to represent the country in the international Paralympics in the future,” he said. TAS TAS AQS AQS
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Source: The Print
