Nearly 800 'children of a lesser god' are to recite poetry, give speeches and answer brainteasers in a competition in New Delhi next week to prove that disability is not a handicap to perform better. The National 'Ability Utsav 2000', beginning on Thursday, brings together 772 people, 428 of them mentally retarded, for a first-time competition among those having different disabilities. The four-day 'Utsav', which will be opened by Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, will pitch the mentally retarded with physically disabled, visually impaired, slow learners and speech and hearing impaired.
The participants, who are divided into juniors (11-17 years) and seniors (18-25 years), will compete in nine disciplines, including classical music (vocal and instrumental), quiz, painting, skits, poetry, elecution and classical dance.

The mentally retarded contestants are divided into two IQ levels of 35-30 and 50-70 and slow learners, 70-90. Folk and tribal dances of the country will be an attraction at the festival. ''The competitions for the disabled people so far have been limited to within one specific category. This festival will break the barriers,'' said Air Marshal Denzil Keelor, President of New Delhi YMCA, which is organising the event.
The largest contingent comes from the North (240) followed by 227 from the South, 216 from the West and 134 from the Eastern region.

As many as 84 institutions spread across 20 states will take part in the festival. The YMCA, which runs a centre for disabled children at its Nizamuddin centre, hopes to educate children of different disabilities under one roof to prevent their isolation. Presently, 30 children having different disabilities are studying at the Nizamuddin centre.
The festival, the main venue of which will be the YMCA Nizamuddin, concludes on October 8 with a national seminar on 'are the disabled a human resource potential or a liability?'
Bureau Report