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 He observes that The Persons with Disabilities (PWD) Act, 1995 is an outdated legislation and needs major amendments, while the proposed Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill, 2011 is riddled with many problems.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.

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