Jaipur, Jun 18 (PTI) Persons with disabilities who lost limbs in the Naxalite insurgency in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada were provided with artificial limbs by the Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti, the parent organisation of the famous Jaipur Foot.
The three-day camp concluded on Monday.
The Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti (BMVSS) provided 477 persons with disabilities with artificial feet and hands, callipers, hearing aids, walkers, walking sticks, crutches, tricycles, and wheelchairs during the camp organised in association with the Dantewada district administration.
"Because of the Naxal and Maoist insurgency, no charitable organisation could go into Dantewada, Sukma and Jagdalpur districts. We found that during the period of insurgency, several persons lost their limbs and were rendered disabled," BMVASS founder and chief patron DR Mehta said.
The BMVSS took a calculated risk, went into these areas and held rehabilitation camps to help those who were suffering, he added.
"The Dantewada camp was the third organised with the support and cooperation of the district administration," he added.
BMVSS president Satish Mehta and CEO SS Bissa were also present during the camp.
Prior to the Dantewada camp, two camps were organised in Sukma and Jagdalpur with the support of Chhattisgarh Jain Sangathan, Sakal Jain Samaj and JM Charitable Trust of Jagdalpur, in which 1,300 persons with disabilities were rehabilitated.
"We had noticed that charitable organisations were not willing to go to Naxal-hit areas. But the Mumbai branch of the BMVSS managed to reach the heavily Naxal-affected area of Gadchiroli in Maharashtra two years ago after finding that a large number of disabled people there needed help," Mehta said.
Learning from the experience, the organisation tried to hold similar camps in Chhattisgarh.
"We hope to go to more such areas in Chhattisgarh with the support of the state government and charitable organisations," Mehta added.