Qian Hongyan - The Basketball Girl - A Must See

Qian Hongyan lost both her legs in an accident at only three years old in 2000. Hongyan’s family wasn’t wealth enough to provide her with hi-tech equipment to help her walk, so they gave her a basketball to help her move. Hongyan used brushes as low-level crutches. She was able to travel to and from home and school by bouncing on the basketball. Five years later, doctors were finally been able to give her prosthetic legs.

The seventh national special sports-meeting was held in Kunming in May 2007. Qian Hongyan went to watch the games every day and seeing the handicapped players struggle in the matches deeply moved her. After the sports meeting, Qian Hongyan was determined to join in the special swimming club. She and her parents went to consult the opportunity with Zhang Honghu, a well known coach who has trained many handicapped swimming champions. Then, Qian Hongyan began her life in the swimming club and did professional swimming training.

“Qian Hongyan studies hard. She never grouches in training although she was confronted with many difficulties at the beginning”, her coach said.

At first, Zhang didn’t pay much attention to Qian Hongyan. “The individual’s capability is important in choosing a player”, he said. “Qian Hongyan doesn’t have legs. It seems that a ship has no a helm, then the ship could work well for lack of a sense of direction”. In order to solve the problem, zhang made a special training plan for Qian Hongyan to help balance the shoulders.

Qian Hongyan swims for about 2000 meters in a day. She always does the exercises and sit-ups, dumbbells and so on carefully. After a short period, to Zhang’s surprise, he found that Hongyan was gifted in swimming. Zhang said, “Hongyan is a very good swimmer but it would be boring and take a long time to train her and repeat the exercises every day. I couldn’t ensure she would be a world champion. However, I can tell that she is definitely a promising swimmer. Our biggest wish is to train her to have a positive attitude to life”. Qian Hongyan’s dream is to take part in the 2012 special Olympic Games and become a world champion. She works hard to achieve her dream”.

Eight-year-old handicapped Chinese girl Qian Hongyan crawls with two home-made props and part of a basketball at Zhuangxia Village on January 5, 2005 in Luliang County of Qujing City, Yunnan Province, China. The girl who lost both of her legs in a traffic accident in 2000 at the age of three, struggles to live her life with a basketball as an underprop, “walking” between school and home by herself. The girl's story is widely reported in the country, and experts from China Rehabilitation Research Center has come to Qian's home to help her for rehabilitative treatment early 2005.

Zhang Honghu, founder of the South of the Clouds Swimming Club, lifts up disabled ten-year-old girl Qian Hongyan during swimming training at the club on September 2, 2007 in Kunming of Yunnan Province, China. Handicapped Qian, known as the “Basketball girl”, joined the club on August 6 to learn to swim and dreams of competing during the London 2012 Special Olympics. She lost both of her legs in a traffic accident in 2000 at the age of three, but struggled to live her life with a basketball as her underpinning.

Eight-year-old handicapped Chinese girl Qian Hongyan, reported as the "Basketball girl", ties her shoes at her home in Zhuangxia Village on May 29, 2005 in Luliang County of Yunnan Province, China. Qian, who used to move her body with the help of a basketball, can finally stand up and walk using artificial limbs. The girl lost both of her legs in a traffic accident in 2000 at the age of three, but struggled to live her life with a basketball as an underprop, “walking” between school and home by herself. The girl's story is widely reported in the country, and drew the attention of the Ministry of Public Security and China Rehabilitation Research Center. She was invited to Beijing and had artificial limbs fitted free of charge at the center. After three months of recovery, Qian is now able to walk with her new legs and has returned to her hometown to resume study in school.

China poses strategic challenges to India

During the five years of UPA rule Indian foreign policy has remained directionless and in the absence of a comprehensive strategy based on national consensus, India's strategic and diplomatic interests are in jeopardy.

India needs a consistent, holistic and country specific approach to its foreign policy. While engaging with countries like China India needs to be doubly cautious because of its expansionist and aggressive agenda.

India's neighbouring country China has been posing new strategic challenges to India for the past three-four years. According to media reports China has developed the Irrawaddy corridor involving road, river, and rail links from Yunnan Province up to the Burmese ports on the Bay of Bengal.

The Irrawaddy corridor has brought Chinese security personnel to Burmese sites close to India's eastern strategic installations. With the Irrawaddy corridor stretching to the Bay of Bengal, Chinese security agencies have strategically positioned security forces at key Burmese coastal Centre, including the Chinese-built harbors at Kyaukpyu and Thilawa.

These security agencies already operate one of the most advanced signals intelligence (SIGINT) collection facility on the Coco Islands in the Bay of Bengal and gather sensitive electronic intelligence data.

China is also coming up with an east-west strategic corridor in Tibet across India's northern frontiers. It began with China-Tibet railway from Gormu to Lhasa that opened in July 2006. Now China is stretching the Tibetan railway link facility to Katmandu and also connecting it to two other points: the tri-junction of the India-Bhutan-Tibet frontiers (in the Chumbi Valley) and the intersection of the India-Burma-Tibet borders.

China has already taken big strides in its effort to build a north-south trans-Karakoram strategic corridor connecting Pakistan's new, Chinese-built Gwadar port to strategic installations in the eastern China.

By connecting the Karakoram Highway to Gwadar( Pakistan) and Yunan to Irrawady corridor ( Myanmar) China has increased its strategic strength and presence on both sides of the Indian peninsula.

China has also engaged Bangladesh and signed a military cooperation treaty with it. This treaty helps China to bring Bangladesh into its strategic ring, provides access to the port of Chittagong which connects with Myanmar through sea route and it gives China proximity to the strategically important the Northeastern States of India.

The BJP shares the deep concern of the Indian Armed forces which have sounded alarm bells on several occasions at China's aims to gradually extend its strategic orbit. China has built nearly 60 warships in the recent past and its naval fleet of 860 vessels includes 60 submarines. China has recently deployed its new Jin-class nuclear submarines at Sanya, in Hainan province. Within the next 25 years, China could have more nuclear assets at sea than Russia.

Last year, the Chinese forces destroyed some Indian army bunkers at the Sikkim-Bhutan-Tibet tri-junction and even threatened to launch an operation to destroy stone demarcations in the Finger Area.

China has adamantly refused to acknowledge the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh as part of India and even raised question marks over the Prime Minister's visit to the State last year in January. The Chinese Army has grown bold enough to launch regular cross-border incursions in India over the past few years. In year 2008 alone 213 incidents of Chinese army intrusions have been reported. But the UPA Government did nothing except admitting these incursions in Parliament.

Chinese troops have been moving in and out of Indian Territory because the incumbent Government at the Centre has failed to assert India's territorial claims.

Although China has expressed willingness to find a solution to the Sino-Indian boundary dispute yet it has become increasingly clear that unless it relinquishes its expansionist agenda any effort to resolve the border issue will not bear any fruit.

China has solved most of its border disputes with other neighbouring countries but it has been showing reluctance to take any concrete steps to find a solution to border disputes with India.

When Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee led NDA Government was in power India had displayed its diplomatic acumen by resolving its long standing dispute with China over Sikkim. China had promised to make more progress in this direction but the NDA Government had to demit office in 2004.

On the other hand ever since the UPA Government came to power the Sino-Indian boundary talks became sluggish and even the issues which were earlier considered resolved started cropping up.

The BJP believes that the diplomatic efforts to resolve border disputes with China should be expedited so that there is a clear demarcation of the Line of Actual Control (LAC). India also needs to have a pragmatic China policy which recognises the strategic challenges facing the country.

Good Governance is key to prosperous Arunachal

The Bharatiya Janata Party firmly believes in providing good governance to the people of India and it stands committed to development. States like Arunachal Pradesh deserve Governments which have an unblemished track record on development.

Most of the problems in Arunachal Pradesh could be addressed by ushering in an era of development. Unfortunately successive Congress Governments both at the Centre and in Itanagar have failed to deliver on this front inspite of ruling the country and the State for more than five decades.

When Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee led NDA Government was in power developing the North east was one of our top most priorities. The UPA Government has not matched its words with prompt action.

The Infrastructure and other basic amenities are completely missing in Arunachal Pardesh. No wonder there are media reports of people from Arunachal Pradesh crossing over to Chinese side looking for better opportunities.

Although the Government has announced an economic package for Arunachal Pradesh but it is insufficient for the people of the State who have been deprived of development for decades. The economic package is also hit by large scale corruption which has prevented the people to benefit from it and the Government has failed to ensure a smooth delivery mechanism. The BJP demands the Government to ensure that there is a system in place to implement the welfare Schemes.

Rajnath Singh has a go at Foreign Policy!

Rajnath Singh goes someway in countering his post-Malegaon misdeeds by releasing this very encouraging foreign policy statement (drafted by some member of the BJP Foreign Affairs Cell) on China's strategic threats and the importance of developing the North-East:

January 30, 2009 At Itanagar

China poses strategic challenges to India

During the five years of UPA rule Indian foreign policy has remained directionless and in the absence of a comprehensive strategy based on national consensus, India's strategic and diplomatic interests are in jeopardy.

India needs a consistent, holistic and country specific approach to its foreign policy. While engaging with countries like China India needs to be doubly cautious because of its expansionist and aggressive agenda.

India's neighbouring country China has been posing new strategic challenges to India for the past three-four years. According to media reports China has developed the Irrawaddy corridor involving road, river, and rail links from Yunnan Province up to the Burmese ports on the Bay of Bengal.

The Irrawaddy corridor has brought Chinese security personnel to Burmese sites close to India's eastern strategic installations. With the Irrawaddy corridor stretching to the Bay of Bengal, Chinese security agencies have strategically positioned security forces at key Burmese coastal Centre, including the Chinese-built harbors at Kyaukpyu and Thilawa.

These security agencies already operate one of the most advanced signals intelligence (SIGINT) collection facility on the Coco Islands in the Bay of Bengal and gather sensitive electronic intelligence data.

China is also coming up with an east-west strategic corridor in Tibet across India's northern frontiers. It began with China-Tibet railway from Gormu to Lhasa that opened in July 2006. Now China is stretching the Tibetan railway link facility to Katmandu and also connecting it to two other points: the tri-junction of the India-Bhutan-Tibet frontiers (in the Chumbi Valley) and the intersection of the India-Burma-Tibet borders.

China has already taken big strides in its effort to build a north-south trans-Karakoram strategic corridor connecting Pakistan's new, Chinese-built Gwadar port to strategic installations in the eastern China.

By connecting the Karakoram Highway to Gwadar( Pakistan) and Yunan to Irrawady corridor ( Myanmar) China has increased its strategic strength and presence on both sides of the Indian peninsula.

China has also engaged Bangladesh and signed a military cooperation treaty with it. This treaty helps China to bring Bangladesh into its strategic ring, provides access to the port of Chittagong which connects with Myanmar through sea route and it gives China proximity to the strategically important the Northeastern States of India.

The BJP shares the deep concern of the Indian Armed forces which have sounded alarm bells on several occasions at China's aims to gradually extend its strategic orbit. China has built nearly 60 warships in the recent past and its naval fleet of 860 vessels includes 60 submarines. China has recently deployed its new Jin-class nuclear submarines at Sanya, in Hainan province. Within the next 25 years, China could have more nuclear assets at sea than Russia.

Last year, the Chinese forces destroyed some Indian army bunkers at the Sikkim-Bhutan-Tibet tri-junction and even threatened to launch an operation to destroy stone demarcations in the Finger Area.

China has adamantly refused to acknowledge the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh as part of India and even raised question marks over the Prime Minister's visit to the State last year in January. The Chinese Army has grown bold enough to launch regular cross-border incursions in India over the past few years. In year 2008 alone 213 incidents of Chinese army intrusions have been reported. But the UPA Government did nothing except admitting these incursions in Parliament.

Chinese troops have been moving in and out of Indian Territory because the incumbent Government at the Centre has failed to assert India's territorial claims.

Although China has expressed willingness to find a solution to the Sino-Indian boundary dispute yet it has become increasingly clear that unless it relinquishes its expansionist agenda any effort to resolve the border issue will not bear any fruit.

China has solved most of its border disputes with other neighbouring countries but it has been showing reluctance to take any concrete steps to find a solution to border disputes with India.

When Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee led NDA Government was in power India had displayed its diplomatic acumen by resolving its long standing dispute with China over Sikkim. China had promised to make more progress in this direction but the NDA Government had to demit office in 2004.

On the other hand ever since the UPA Government came to power the Sino-Indian boundary talks became sluggish and even the issues which were earlier considered resolved started cropping up.

The BJP believes that the diplomatic efforts to resolve border disputes with China should be expedited so that there is a clear demarcation of the Line of Actual Control (LAC). India also needs to have a pragmatic China policy which recognises the strategic challenges facing the country.

Good Governance is key to prosperous Arunachal

The Bharatiya Janata Party firmly believes in providing good governance to the people of India and it stands committed to development. States like Arunachal Pradesh deserve Governments which have an unblemished track record on development.

Most of the problems in Arunachal Pradesh could be addressed by ushering in an era of development. Unfortunately successive Congress Governments both at the Centre and in Itanagar have failed to deliver on this front inspite of ruling the country and the State for more than five decades.

When Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee led NDA Government was in power developing the North east was one of our top most priorities. The UPA Government has not matched its words with prompt action.

The Infrastructure and other basic amenities are completely missing in Arunachal Pardesh. No wonder there are media reports of people from Arunachal Pradesh crossing over to Chinese side looking for better opportunities.

Although the Government has announced an economic package for Arunachal Pradesh but it is insufficient for the people of the State who have been deprived of development for decades. The economic package is also hit by large scale corruption which has prevented the people to benefit from it and the Government has failed to ensure a smooth delivery mechanism. The BJP demands the Government to ensure that there is a system in place to implement the welfare Schemes.