Mentaid celebrated its 40th anniversary with a concert at the Madhusudan Mancha in Kolkata.

For the past 40 years, Mentaid, the first officially recognized parents’ organization in West Bengal, has worked to support children and young adults with intellectual disabilities, including multiple disabilities, autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, and Down syndrome. Mentaid strives for a holistic development to support and empower children and adults with intellectual disabilities, as well as their parents and caregivers, and the majority of its beneficiaries come from economically disadvantaged households.

Mentaid trainees and students performed on stage at the concert, accompanied by their parents and siblings.

The children’s and young adults’ talents were on display in Jahar Dass’s dance drama, Mukti. The drama was enhanced by the lighting, costumes, and set design. The audience expressed their sincere gratitude for the fantastic presentation. In addition to offering amusement, Mukti conveyed the idea of coexisting peacefully with the environment.

The curation and live commentary were handled by Oindrilla Dutt, while renowned dancer Priti Patel served as the artistic consultant.

Gracing the event were eminent guests like Smt. Tulika Das, Chairperson, West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights, Smt. Alokananda Ray, renowned dancer and social reformer, Smt. Aloka Guha, Ex-Chairperson, The National Trust, and Padma Shree Awardee Dr. Sudha Kaul, Founder of Indian Institute of Cerebral Palsy.

A video about Mentaid’s 40-year history was shown after Smt. Iona Kundu, the organization’s founder and chairperson, gave an emotional speech to kick off the program. After Panch Tatwa’s opening act, Mukti was performed.

Priyanka Dutta