August 2012 issue ‘Do
We Care?’
Disability is a condition that
often evokes sympathy but not empathy. The disabled in our society are
discriminated, more because of lack of awareness rather than
insensitivity. Despite a sizeable
population of disabled in India, it is unfortunate that they are not on the
radar screen of the Nation. It is shocking that till 1995 there was no law to
secure their rights and for 54 years after Independence, till 2001, they were
not counted in the census. While these two basic flaws have been corrected, the
damage done was so huge that generations have paid and will pay the price for
being disabled in India. Even the proposed Right of Persons with Disabilities
Bill, 2011 is riddled with problems, and calls for the urgent attention of the
Ministry of Social Justice to rectify the faults.
With proper education and
employment opportunities, most disabled persons can do as well as any other
human being in society and can play a contributing as well as fulfilling role
in society. What is needed though is a change in societal attitudes towards the
disabled and sensitivity towards their needs such as providing them accessible
surroundings, inclusive education, employment opportunities and above all
acceptance.
The August
2012 issue of One India One People looks at the various
challenges faced by the disabled in India and also the various advocacy groups
that are building awareness and fighting for the rights of the disabled.
Awareness and a little caring attitude of citizens towards the disabled can go
a long way in breaking barriers is what the issue attempts to highlight.
In the lead article on The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill, 2011,
Rahul Cherian Jacob, founder of Inclusive Planet Centre for Disability
Law and Policy,
stresses the need to redraft the Bill from scratch to meet the needs of the
disabled population of this country. He observes that The Persons with
Disabilities (PWD) Act, 1995 is an outdated legislation and needs major
amendments, while the proposed Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill, 2011
is riddled with many problems.
In
‘Creating a barrier-free environment’,
Shivani Gupta, founder of AccessAbility,
India’s premier Access Consultancy firm based in New Delhi, an expert
on issues and policies relating to
accessibility and recipient of several awards for her consistent inputs towards
promotion of inclusive environments, writes that accessible infrastructure is
one of the key requirements to enable inclusion. Infrastructure planning must
include accessibility for disabled people by default and budgetary allocations
must be made to retrofit accessibility into the existing infrastructure, she
adds.
In
‘Channelising abilities’, Shanti Raghavan, founder and Managing
Trustee of Enable India, a non profit organisation that works for the
economic independence and dignity of persons with disability across India, says
that persons with disabilities are neither less abled nor less efficient than
others, but they fail to get employment because employers are unable to use
their potential.
The
article ‘Education through an inclusive
lens’, looks at inclusive education. Ruma
Banerjee, Director, Seva-in-Action Association, Bangalore, writes that while
the RTE Act provides for inclusive education, the need of the hour is an
inclusive learning environment, which provides accessible infrastructure, peer
support, humane teachers and systemic reforms.
Shubhangi Vaidya is
the mother of a teenager with autism and teaches in the School of Interdisciplinary and Transdisciplinary Studies, Indira
Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi. In ‘Understanding autism’, Ms Vaidya says that autism is a difficult
and challenging disorder to deal with, but advances in science, medicine and
educational interventions can make the life of autistic persons more
fulfilling, enabling them to actualise their potential.
In
‘Language that leaves you speechless’
and ‘Advocating a bold attitude’, Malay Desai, a writer with Trinayani, a
not-for-profit advocacy trust founded by Ritika Sahni, tells us inspiring
stories of Sunil Sahasrabudhe, a teacher and Nilesh Singit, a disability rights
activist, who have overcome their disabilities to live a fulfilling life. (This
is a part of a series of articles that celebrate the intriguing lives
of persons with disabilities. Trinayani
works towards Disability Awareness and Support, communicating through
workshops/seminars, print, radio, films and other electronic media.)
In ‘The
war against polio’, T Jacob John,
retired professor of Clinical Virology at Christian Medical College, Vellore and
who has served on the Global and National Committees on Polio Eradication,
highlights some flaws and positive aspects of the National Polio Eradication
Programme and concludes that there are enough reasons for India to be proud about
eradicating polio.
Know India Better
In
‘A Taste of the Kumaon’, Akul Tripathi, media professional and travel writer, is enamoured by the
impeccable natural beauty in the rolling hills of Kumaon in Uttarakhand and
after a brush with adventure sports and a walk around a haunted lake, sets off
in search of a life changing experience - to sight a tiger in the wild at the
legendary Jim Corbett National Park.
In
‘The Eden of Deccan’, Akul Tripathi treads softly around the
proud blossoms of an unknown Eden, the Kaas Plateau near Satara, tucked away in
the hills of the Deccan.
General section:
In
‘Advice abroad is applicable at home’,
Prof. B. Ramesh Babu, a specialist in International Relations and
formerly the Sir Pherozehah Mehta Professor of Civics and Politics at Mumbai
University, takes a critical look at Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh’s
address at the global meeting on sustainable development in Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil in mid-June. The address was replete with sermons to the West. However,
looking at the chaos within the UPA government, Prof. Babu feels it is high
time that the PM practices what he preaches.
In
‘21st Century as the Asian Century:
Challenges to Indian role’, P. M.
Kamath, Hon. Director, VPM’s Centre for International Studies, Mumbai and former professor of politics,
University of Mumbai, notes that the biggest challenge to India emerging as a
major power in Asia is lack of will power in the present Indian leadership to
exercise that role.
Face to Face:
“Discrimination arises more from the lack of awareness than insensitivity,”
says Javed Abidi, pioneer of the
cross-disability movement in India in an e-mail interview with Rajlakshmi Pillai. Abidi founded
the Disabled Rights Group in 1993 to work specifically on cross-disability
issues. He was instrumental in setting up the National Centre for Promotion of
Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP) in 1996 and has been its Director since
1997. Abidi talks about the challenges faced by people with disabilities in
India and the need for creating awareness in society.
This issue profiled three Great Indians:
Dr.
Yellapragada Subbarow-The complete scientist (1895-1948) - The
New York Herald Tribune described Dr. Yellapragada SubbaRow as “An eminent
medical mind of the century.” He discovered cures for many killer diseases
which brought great relief to millions of ailing people throughout the world.
Dr.
Neera Desai-A pioneer of women’s studies (1925-2009) - Dr. Neera
Desai was responsible for attracting hundreds of young college girls into
emerging discipline called ‘Women’s Studies’. She nurtured two generations of
women researchers, activists, academicians in such a way that women’s cause
became a lifelong mission to them.
Major
Mohan Gangadharan Shaurya Chakra-The officer with a ‘Buddha smile’ (1961-1999) -
A
promising officer and a gentleman to the core, Major Mohan Gangadharan, lost
his life while fighting Karbi militants in Assam. He displayed conspicuous
courage, exemplary leadership, devotion to duty and gallantry beyond the call
of duty and was a source of inspiration to his men.
And also read our regular columns and other features. To book a copy,
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