NEW DELHI: Home minister Amit Shah celebrated Raksha Bandhan in Ahmedabad on Friday with local girls diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.Sharing photographs of the girls — who hail from Gandhinagar, his Lok Sabha constituency — tying rakhi on his wrist, Shah posted on X: “Children with Type 1 diabetes require life-long insulin injections, which puts a major financial strain on their families. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, our govt is providing such children free insulin for life.”“This visionary initiative, which many developed nations are still striving to implement, showcases the commitment of Modi govt to the principles of “service, compassion and security,” he added.The home minister wished the girls good health and a bright future. “For the Modi government, public service is not merely a responsibility but the guiding principle of compassionate governance. Only when the health of daughters is secure will the future of the family and society be secure. This initiative to provide free insulin to daughters on the auspicious occasion of Raksha Bandhan also symbolizes our commitment to the protection and health of daughters,” he said while speaking on the occasion.
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Shah’s rakshabandhan gesture has a personal angle as well. The home minister has, by his own admission, reversed his diabetes by making major lifestyle changes since 2020. Speaking at a World Liver Day event last year, he revealed that by taking requisite sleep, hydration and the right food and regular exercise, he had almost ended his dependence on allopathic medicines and insulin.Type 1 diabetes, however, cannot be reversed or cured. It is linked to genetic factors and attacks insulin-making beta cells in the pancreas. Usually diagnosed during childhood or adolescence, it makes those afflicted with it dependent for life on insulin therapy.The Modi govt had earlier this year decided to expand its Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram to put in place an integrated system for screening, diagnosis, treatment and long-term management of juvenile diabetes.
