Date: 9th January 2023 | Text & Images by – Nidhi Lall
The Office of the State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, in collaboration with the Directorate of Social Welfare Goa and the Sports Authority of Goa, came together to celebrate “Purple Fest Goa: Celebrating Diversity.” The Purple Fest is a one-of-a-kind initiative taken by the State of Goa to give opportunities to specially challenged individuals to rejoice in this fun and activity filled event. The festival was held from January 6th to 8th, 2023, at the ESG premises in Panjim, with all the pomp and show.
“Today in Mann Ki Baat, I want to share this with all of you. This event happened in Goa — Purple Fest. This festival was organised in Panaji from January 6th to the 8th, and this was a unique effort in itself for the welfare of Divyangs. For making Purple Fest a success, I congratulate all the people who participated in it. Along with this, I also want to congratulate those volunteers, who came together to work day and night to organise this event. I have full faith that such campaigns will prove to be very effective in realising our vision of an accessible India.” – Prime Minister Narendra Modi
The Opening Ceremony of the unique Purple fest was held today at Inox Courtyard in the presence of Chief Minister of Goa, Dr. Pramod Sawant and Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment, Dr. Virendra Kumar who presided over the function along with Minister for Tourism, Rohan Khaunte.
The festival got over 5,000 delegate, including members of the disabled community and other individuals from all over the country. Around 1000 local volunteers came forward to assist the delegates, persons with and without disability. “With 70 exhibitors and over 60 guest speakers, we hope to find the right path to empowering India here in Goa,” says Commissioner of Persons with Disabilities, Guruprasad Pawaskar.
The three-day festival’s aim is to address the concept of inclusivity into our society, and how to support one another.
The Infinte Opportunities And Fun At The Purple Fest
The festival had a well-planned agenda that included various activities to encourage and honour the participants with disabilities and make their journey joyful. At the event, the first-ever specially designed E-Rickshaw vehicles from EzyMov was launched as part of the Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan. Six such vehicles will be used during the Fest to take PWD (Persons with Disability) around in the most convenient way.
Purple Think Tank
Individuals with disabilities and their stakeholders require intense training and advance preparation to make these individuals ready for self-employment. Think Tank provided a forum to discuss how to motivate and train entrepreneurs with disabilities, connect them to credit and markets, and assist them in getting started.
Purple Experience Zone
Jagruti Mela: Curated by EnAble India, Bangalore, Jagruti Mela is a platform that provides information about education, skilling, schemes, training, and livelihood opportunities to Persons with Disabilities and their stakeholders.
Antarchakshu: It is a simulation workshop that gives a glimpse into the world of people with disabilities. Participants go through a disability simulation for a few minutes, during which they are made to perform a few simple tasks in a safe environment. [Curated by Xavier’s Resource Centre for the Visually Challenged (XRCVC), Mumbai] Inter-State Blind Cricket Tournament: As a prelude to the Purple Fest, an Interstate Blind Cricket Tournament was organised by Office of the State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, and Directorate of Social Welfare, in union with Goa Cricket Association and Blind Cricket Association of Goa. The Interstate Blind Cricket tournament witnessed a total of six teams participating including Goa, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Pondicherry and Telangana.
Inter-State Blind Cricket Tournament: As a prelude to the Purple Fest, an Interstate Blind Cricket Tournament was organised by Office of the State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, and Directorate of Social Welfare, in union with Goa Cricket Association and Blind Cricket Association of Goa. The Interstate Blind Cricket tournament witnessed a total of six teams participating including Goa, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Pondicherry and Telangana.
Museum of Possibilities: Curated by the Museum of Possibilities, Chennai, the platform displays various ideas and features with the possibility of incorporation and access to a world of opportunities for people with disabilities. This platform helps build awareness about accessible technology, assistive devices, and products designed for all.
Inclusive Carnival: The event provided a fun-filled, non-judgmental environment that encourages interaction between the general public and people with disabilities. [Curated by Akshadhaa Foundation, Bangalore]
Purple We Care Film Festival: This channel is for mainstream students who want to learn about the lives of people with disabilities through films. [Curated by Brotherhood and Saksham]
Purple Fun Zone
The Purple Fun was created to add a fun element to this three-day festival. From bird watching to a blind car rally, the event hosted many thrilling activities. The activity included touring Goa’s beloved beaches, temples, and churches.
Bird Walk: A bird-watching activity was conducted at the Carambolim Lake. The is an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area with 289 species of birds, making it one of the top birdwatching sites in Goa. [Curated by Arannya Environment Research Organization, Goa]
Fun at the Beach: The participants were taken for a dip in the sea at Miramar to experience the ocean. During the festival, Drishti lifeguards assisted them to wade into the shallow end at Miramar. A special ramp installed at Miramar Beach allowed the delegates with wheelchairs to visit the beach. They enjoyed their dip in a specially modified wheelchair with inflatable wheels.
Purple Bioscope: Accessible Movie Screening: A beautifully organised, accessible movie screening with three films was scheduled for three days. The specialised movie screening is done with Audio Description, Closed Captioning, and Sign Language Interpretation.[Curated by Saksham Trust, Delhi]
Cruise Ride: A cruise ride was the high point for the delegates at Purple Fest. The cruise ride gave a tour of the Mandovi River, which started from the Santa Monica jetty in Panaji. This cruise has a wide array of entertainment, which includes music and folk-dance performances.
Saksham Car Rally for the Visually Impaired: The Saksham Trust in Delhi assisted in organising a first-of-its-kind accessible car rally with navigators on the passenger seats for people with visual impairments. The braille maps were used to lead the way, with sighted people as drivers.
Purple Rain
The core purpose of Purple Rain was to curate an evening of celebration and merrymaking. The event included live performances by renowned artists, music concerts, dance performances, and stand-up comedy shows. The event showcased the talent of visually impaired musicians, dancers with physical disabilities, and a choir that had singers with autism.
Purple Exhibition
The agenda of Purple Exhibition aimed at marvelling both science and art. The exhibition showcased the latest aids, appliances, and products developed by people with disabilities. It also conducted live art camps and other fun activities.
Closing Ceremony
The event ended on a promising and positive note. Through such initiatives, Government of Goa will keep encourage people to overcoming personal stereotypes as well as to establish an environment that not only educates everyone about the disabled community and their capabilities but also respect and celebrates diversity and inclusion.
The ceremony was held on 8th January at Inox Courtyard in the presence of Chief Minister of Goa, Dr. Pramod Sawant and Union Minister of State Tourism, Shri. Shripad Naik who presided over the function.
For us at Planet-Goa, our team is driven by that feeling of exhilaration that one gets when discovering that something ‘unique’ and ‘new’ about Goa for our ever-so-discerning readers.
For us at Planet-Goa, our team is driven by that feeling of exhilaration that one gets when discovering that something ‘unique’ and ‘new’ about Goa for our ever-so-discerning readers.
