The Disabled Society

By

Randeep Wadehra

In the recent budget presented in the Haryana Assembly Captain Ajay Singh Yadav declared that, “To ensure that citizens with disabilities are not left out of the mainstream of development, our Government has launched an ambitious Jawahar Social Infrastructure Mission to take up projects for this section of our society. Under JSIM, we propose to set up 10 schools for the visually challenged children, 8 schools for the children with hearing and speech impairments, 6 schools for the differently abled children, three State Level Institutes for providing vocational training to persons with different physical disabilities, 4 Senior Citizens’ homes, 21 Vocational Training Centers and two Life Long Homes for the differently abled persons in the next three years at a cost of Rs.150 crore.” Needless to say that the amount would fall short of the actual requirements.

The hon’ble minister also pointed out, “Besides this Haryana Government is also providing 2% job reservations to physically handicapped persons in HPSC and HSSC. Also in allotment of HUDA plots there is reservation for them.”

As for the job reservation quota an Indian Express report (Give 3% quota in promotional avenues to disabled staffers: HC to Haryana. March 19, 2010) provides a glimpse of what the handicapped people have to endure. I quote, “The Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the Haryana Government to grant three percent quota in promotion avenues to disabled employees. As of now, a three percent quota is given to these employees only at the time of employment. The government had earlier refused to award the quota despite a high court ruling, even though a similar relief is awarded by other states.”

The world of the disabled is lonely, cold and desolate… where one has to grit one's teeth and struggle for survival while putting up with indignities which are beyond the able people's comprehension.

Whether one is born with a handicap or gets afflicted with one after spending some years as a normal and healthy person it is not easy to live in a rather indifferent world. Day in day out one gets media reports on how various educational institutions refuse admission to special children on specious grounds. One finds it galling to discover that you practically lose the right to livelihood if you are physically challenged – for the mentally challenged this right never ever existed – unless you are well connected in the politico-bureaucratic dispensation. Oh yes there are jobs reserved for the physically challenged. But what sort of jobs? And, who actually benefits?

Instead, why not enable them to compete as equals? It is possible to do so in this technologically advanced world. But in a country where even basic facilities to enable easy movement and secure lifestyle is a pipedream, The Directive Principles of State Policy that provide for care and welfare of weaker sections including the handicapped, remain meaningless platitudes on a piece of paper.

When a physically handicapped child grows up or when a healthy adult becomes handicapped the dark side of the hitherto rose-tinted society manifests itself. Friendships melt away, relations break down, and darkness envelops all horizons. A mixture of bewilderment, anger, self-pity and a sense of being abandoned overwhelms one's consciousness.

Article 41 of the Constitution enjoins upon the State to "make effective provision for securing the right to work, to education and to public assistance in cases of unemployment, old age, sickness and disablement and other cases of undeserved want." But what about those who are cast aside when they become disabled while in service? Some are fortunate enough to get institutional support but there are large numbers of physically and mentally challenged people who are left to fend for themselves. And, getting redress from the courts … the less said the better.

The 19th session of the UN General Assembly, held in 1975, declared, "...disabled persons have the inherent right to respect their human dignity...they have the right to economic and social security and to a decent level of living to secure and retain employment or to engage in a useful productive and remunerative occupation and to join all trade unions."

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