PANAJI
The third edition of the International Purple Fest 2025 concluded in Panaji on Sunday, with leaders reaffirming their commitment to inclusive education, employment, and accessibility for persons with disabilities (PwDs).
Organised by the Department for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities and the Office of the State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, in partnership with the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and the United Nations India, the four-day event brought together delegates, policymakers, and performers from across India and abroad.
Goa Governor Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju, Kerala Governor Rajendra Arlekar, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, Union Minister Shripad Naik, and Social Welfare Minister Subhash Phal Dessai were among the dignitaries present at the closing ceremony.
Governor Raju said the Purple Fest had turned Panaji into a “symbol of unity, dignity, and inclusion,” adding that persons with disabilities must be recognised as holders of rights, not recipients of charity. Governor Arlekar emphasised that PwDs seek opportunities, not sympathy, and that inclusion should translate into real participation and respect.
Chief Minister Sawant said Goa had emerged as a national model of inclusion, where accessibility and opportunity drive both social and economic growth. “Education empowers, employment dignifies, and together they create independence — the foundation of inclusion,” he said.
The festival’s finale included the felicitation of 21 Purple Ambassadors, the launch of the Purple Newsletter, and cultural performances by special schools and groups such as Miracle on Wheels and Victory Arts Foundation.
The event ended with a call to sustain the momentum of Goa’s growing Purple Movement — a symbol of accessibility, equality, and empowerment for all.
