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Raipur: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on a busy day-long visit to Chhattisgarh on the occasion of the state’s 25th Foundation Day, took a poignant moment to ask about the health of two cultural figures of the region amid grand inaugurations; Padma Vibhushan folk artist Teejan Bai and Jnanpith award winning litterateur Vinod Kumar Shukla.
His gesture, expressed through official channels, underlined his deep appreciation for the state’s artistic heritage, even as he unveiled development projects worth over Rs 14,260 crore.
The Prime Minister’s appeal came in the backdrop of recent concerns over the health of both the veterans. 73-year-old Teejan Bai, the world famous “Pandwani singer”, revered as the “Panditani of Raut Nacha”, was admitted to AIIMS Raipur on Monday following the instructions of Chief Minister Vishnu Dev Sai.
Last year, there were media reports that he was bedridden after losing two sons and struggling with family finances. His relatives alleged delay in pension disbursement, forcing him to forego necessary treatment.
Responding quickly, Durg district administration and local leaders provided immediate financial assistance while resolving banking glitches to restore their pensions. She was also given additional support by the government, offering assistance of Rs 5 lakh and ordering special home care equipment – a motorized remote-controlled bed, bed-table and wheelchair – to ease her daily struggles.
90-year-old poet-novelist Vinod Kumar Shukla, author of classics like “Nagaraj”, has been suffering from severe respiratory distress in the ICU of MMI Narayana Multispeciality Hospital since Monday evening.
A few days ago, a royalty check of Rs 30 lakh brought him into the limelight, a rare windfall for the reclusive talent. His troubles began when he fell in the courtyard of his home in Rajnandgaon, breaking his nose and requiring surgery. After discharge, respiratory complications increased, leading to him being moved to critical care.
PM Modi’s query, sent through the Chief Minister’s Office, wished both of them a speedy recovery and expressed gratitude for their lasting contribution to India’s literary and performing arts.
The centerpiece of the visit included PM Modi’s interaction with 2,500 children who were cured of congenital heart defects under the ‘Dil Ki Baat’ program at Sri Satya Sai Sanjeevani Hospital, Nava Raipur.
He will also inaugurate the “Shanti Shikhar” spiritual center of Brahma Kumaris, unveil the statue of Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and lay the foundation stone of highways like NH-130D, electricity substation and Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Museum.
As Chhattisgarh celebrates its silver jubilee, PM Modi’s sympathetic touch towards its ailing artistes humanized the developmental pomp, and reminded everyone that progress must nurture cultural roots.
–IANS