‘Assistive devices' can make them self-reliant

Soon after his retirement from the Indian Army in 1992, Havaldar Hari Mayan, a resident of Coimbatore, started working in the National Textile Corporation. When the corporation was closed, Mr. Mayan opened a petty shop. But he found it hard to run the shop following a motor vehicle accident two years ago in which he injured his right leg.

Mr. Mayan wants to now earn a living by preparing as well as servicing specialised wheelchairs for people with disabilities. “I will be one of the district representatives of Callidai Motor Works. I will be providing the wheelchairs required in the district and also carry out servicing. I will be self-reliant,” said the 55-year-old Mr. Mayan, a father of two children.

Mr. Mayan is one of the 28 Army personnel below officers rank who have completed a 10-day course in “Assistive Motor Devices”. The course is conducted by the Indian Army in association with the Callidai Motor Works and the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). The course was conducted at the Callidai Motor Works' plant in Coimbatore.

Chief of Army Staff General V.K. Singh on Thursday presented diploma certificates for the 28 personnel, who form the first batch of the course, which is a part of the Army's Project Samarth that envisages providing vocational skills for the Army personnel needed for re-employment in private sector.

A majority of those who have completed the course are those who are completing their service in the Indian Army on August 31. “We have been trained in preparing wheelchairs as per the needs of the customer. We will repair the wheelchairs at the customer's doorstep,” said Havaldar Pathan Vaheed Khan. Mr. Khan is one of the 23 personnel from Madras Regimental Centre who have completed the course.

The Indian Army signed the Memorandum of Understanding with the Callidai Motors and the IGNOU on July 21 for conducting the course. To start with, the Callidai Motors decided to train the personnel from the Madras Regimental Centre, which is near its plant in Coimbatore.

Several initiatives

Speaking at the function, General V.K. Singh said the course was among the many vocational training activities taken up by the Indian Army. “It's a part of our initiative to motivate our personnel and bring out the talent they possess. We will be showcasing to the corporate bodies the talent, ability and sincerity of our personnel. You will be the ambassadors of the Indian Army,” General Singh said.

General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Command, Lieutenant General P. Khanna; Commandant of Army Service Corps Centre and College Lt. Gen. Kamal Mohey, Chief Executive of Callidai Motors Bhargav Sundaram and Special Officer to the IGNOU Vice-Chancellor Vijay Kumar, participated in the event.