The modern society is evolving in a manner that has many positives, as well as a few negatives. Though our country is one of the fastest growing economies in the world but it is a fact that a significant percentage of population still struggle to have the basic need to lead a respectful life. In this significant percentage there is a noticeable group whom we refer as disable people, or by many other terminologies.
Now let me give a personal introduction. I am doing so because I believe other may not relate with my point of views and it would help me to establish my points. In other words some of you may ask me some things which I would only be able to answer if I give all of you a background of myself.
The way you are seeing me now, sitting on my wheelchair upright and speaking just like many of you do: if you had seen me before 18th November 2005, you would have found me in a worse physical condition. During that time, to communicate I used an alternative method that augmented my communication. With the help of others and the blessing of almighty, I was fortunate to develop myself.
Now at this juncture of my life when I have crossed the age of completing my formal education, I am pursuing my graduation. I do not want to talk about the nitty-gritty of my life but I just want to highlight on the matter that one need not be considered educated with relation to the number of ‘certificates’ he or she owns. To me the concept of education is something else, to which many of you may not be agreeing. It is the hunger of KNOWLEDGE, which will prevent oneself from getting exploited and that in itself gives an impetuous to live, and make a difference to the society.
The person who is advocating is a product himself of this system. In this great nation of ours, many prior generations used to believe that embracing the goods of the grand and diverse cultural and heritage would bring the best and that will make this country a great one.
According to me, there is difference between other deprived group and people who lead their life with some disabilities. If one takes the context of exploitation, then we see many cases are being reported by the print and electronic media and some of them are pursued till the justice is being done. But have any one ever thought, why there are no significant numbers of cases of abuse and exploitation is reported from the side of people with disabilities?
Is it because people with disabilities are not exploited or abused? Does the people with twisted mind, pick and chose whom they want to victimize?
No, these are ridicules points. First let me ask you a question and that is why do you think that it is important to have the power of communication?
To me it is the most essential aspect in animal kingdom. When we are able to express ourselves with the language that is comprehendible to our fellow human beings; we share our feelings easily.
There are many kinds of disabilities where a person cannot communicate and now let me ask another question to you all. How would you feel when you are misunderstood owing to a miss-communication, by someone, who really matters in your life?
One more question to you all. If you are not well and there is no one to whom you can ask for help, what would you do?
When we talk about life threatening diseases amongst person with disabilities then we must understand a simple problem may lead to life threatening disease. Owning to the problem in communication or complex communication need to certain disabilities this can occur.
If it happens to me that I feel some discomfort, I can easily tell anyone around. By this people can intervene early to prevent some big problem. Early intervention is very important in most of the major diseases like cancer.
In our country the awareness’ about disability is actually very less. In certain parts of India it is still considered as a curse and many families keep their children with disabilities hidden in a small corner of the house. In many other places the disabled people do not get a chance to obtain education. Thus they are unable to have the knowledge which might help them to survive.
It is a challenge to all of us that will give the society a new dimension. With all our effort, we must bring out those people with disabilities from the families which consider it as a curse. And to those people who are yet to have the benefits of “some Govt. policies which actually exists on ground”. The people in the social sector must take them to those people who are deprived even though they do not take the disability as a curse. According to me the main aspect which must be emphasized upon is education. Only educating people with or without disabilities would bring more awareness’ for disabled people and prevent or save people from many killer diseases. This is applicable to many other deprive groups as well.
Now I wish to say a few words on a problem which exists in all sphere of our society including disable people. In our county and society, the word ‘sex’, is being used as if it has a taboo tagged with it. Though we have evolved and traveled a long way from the medieval era but when it is the time to educate the generation, about the ‘tabooed word’ we always shy away. In case of the people with disabilities this ignorance is more because the dearest ones, would also like to protect, them from ‘all evils of the society’. On the contrary if one is given the proper information and education on the changes which is natural in all human beings after a certain age; surely it will help the person.
The special institutes for the people with disabilities must understand the need of it. Directly or indirectly it will prevent many killer diseases with the knowledge of sexuality of one’s self. With that it will also prevent abuse. In a so called normal society, the children get the chance of having the school syllabus and interacting with the peer group and by discussing they clarify about the doubts on hormonal and chemical reactions.
Whereas for the people with disabilities grow up in a closed and protected environment. We do not have a huge circle, from where we can gather information. So it is absolutely necessary for some nearest of the person with disabilities to take care of one of the most important aspect of education.
In many of your mind the obvious question may tickle! That is what happened in my case? & my answer is, I am very fortunate to have a very supportive and motivating parents and I am positively sure that many of you here are also fortunate to have the priceless guidance of your parents. My father being a doctor by profession, shares a special equation with me. One day, while teaching, he drifted from the actual subject to give me the knowledge which has helped me, in a way that helps my psyche to develop in a matured manner.
At this point of time I have the optimism that changes which we are experiencing, will move in a faster way. If you ask, what is the reason of the optimism? My answer would be: in my life-time the position of the person with disabilities has changed and that too for the betterment. The skeptics may argue that only in the urban area this has happened.
To me this argument reminds, the old ‘cliché’, “If the glass is half full or half empty”. Many optimists like me would say it takes a hell of a lot of effort to get a ball or a wheel rolling.
Could anyone have thought that our nation would be considered as one of the most powerful economies in the world when the British left our land by dividing India? But it is a fact that we have evolved to become the 2nd fastest growing economy. Just like that various social movements especially in disability sector have given us a life. From various urban areas the work to uplift the life of many people with disabilities is spreading into the rural parts of our country. It is our responsibility to take this movement to the remotest corners so that the overall lifestyle of these people can be made better. By the betterment of the lifestyle, we not only empower these people but also we will prevent the life-threatening diseases and early intervention would also be possible.
Even though the society is gradually being aware of the problems of the persons with disabilities but to many of us the change is slow. The complexity of our society is so’ rapidly evolving that the basic human rights of disable people are taken as granted by many activists who themselves are fighting to raise the standard of living of different deprive groups. In some cases we are talking about the same problems but these voices are being separated. According to me time has come when it has become a necessity to unite different voices so that the authorities take them more seriously.
I think, I am lucky to be born as an Indian owing to the fact that our establishment and culture give the right to speak freely. Our nation is a unique one as in spite of our differences we take pride of our Indian-ness. We can always pursue and discuss our problem peacefully with the responsible authorities. Even in our sector we have changed the mindset of some people who had different thought process before.
Human being endowed by nature is reflective and active. Only we and not other animals have the ability to abstract and represent the experiences through symbols’ and letters, language and other mediums’ of communication. Here I would like to emphasize on the basic concept of India. In this modern world we are regarded as a country with difference. Our main value (unity in diversity) is acknowledged.
To me, the population which is being marginalized over the years shows one more aspect of our Indian-ness. The word ‘resilience’ which has somewhat become a cliché, is in fact THE WORD that can describe the disable people, especially in our nation. Even with the condition, which is not in our side, we try; we try to live our lives with a smile. But we also want ourselves to live the life with freedom, dignity, and less physical pain that engross our body along with the physical deformities’.
Ideally, knowledge should be objective and uniform but given the current uneven developments in the world, it becomes difficult, at times impossible, to stay away from biases and not to advocate the case of those who have been historically deprived for no fault of their own. In such situations, it is easy to bypass the cause which pricks our mind. But people who need help will embrace all of us, if we stand up to take care of some problems which you and I may not face in our life-time. The happiness; this embracement would bring the pleasure which none of us would be able to experience ever.
We cannot change everything because we do not have the magic wand of Harry Potter. Even he had to struggle and take all the pain and irony of the life. This take me to the conclusion, Changes cannot or should not come over night, or else we: ourselves would never value them
