I also belong to a lower middle class family. And have never felt that, I am not equal.
However there are so many stereotypes which I had to break. During the argument on this bill with one of my relative, Who is not much aware about disability. So he was suggesting me to think on humanitarian ground. He said that, what is rong if parents want to have able child and same thing I have seen here. One of us also said the same thing. I am wondering that, what is difference between the people who are aware about disability and those who are not aware about disability. On Thu, Jul 22, 2021, 12:32 PM Ketan Kothari <[email protected]> wrote: > Hi Friends, > > I belong to a lower middle class family and have not been treated in > any way that compromised my dignity. Also, I know of many people with > disabilities who have done well despite their disabilities and lower > socioeconomic background. I have never had servants or any help and > in fact, I hate to depend upon sighted folks unless there is something > that just cannot be attained due to lack of vision. > > I am surprised that people with disabilities also count themselves as > nonpersons. Good luck disabled community since we are our own > destroyer. Let us then also ask for repeal of Rights of Persons with > Disabilities Act, 2016 as we don't really exist. > > And, Avichal, Mahendra has risen from a lower middle class family in > Mumbai who was educated in a school for the blind. Let us not have > any political agenda while discussing issues. Having said all this, I > will always fight for your right to express your views as that is the > liberty that we must subscribe to . > > Stay safe. > > Ketan > > On 19/07/2021, [email protected] <[email protected]> > wrote: > > I do not regularly post in this group. However, after reading the > > discussion > > on S. 15 of the UP Population Control Bill, I felt compelled to speak. If > > we > > cannot collectively raise our voices against such blatant display of > > ableism > > and pure and simple discrimination, then we might as well shut this group > > down and go home. These words sound harsh, I know, but nothing less would > > suffice to respond to the insensitivity displayed by those supporting the > > provisions at issue. Here are my thoughts. > > > > > > > > First, please understand what this provision [S. 15] seeks to do. It > seeks > > to inscribe into law a provision that would say that the rule that you > can > > only have two children, created by this law, will not apply in the event > > that you have a disabled child. In such cases, you are entitled to have > > three children. In other words, the Bill says that a disabled child > simply > > does not count as a child. It says that, as parents, you are entitled to > a > > do over if a child with a disability is born to you. > > > > > > > > Second, if the above does not constitute a frontal assault to the dignity > > of > > disabled bodies, I wonder what does. If the above provision does not > negate > > the personhood of the disabled, I wonder what does. If the above > provision > > does not inscribe into law the most horrific stereotypes about having a > > disability that we all seek to confront everyday in direct and indirect > > ways, I wonder what does. > > > > > > > > Third, to say that the bill would have been criticized even if it did not > > have such a provision and hence we should just put up with our > statutorily > > sanctioned humiliation and negation, I am sorry to say, reflects a way of > > thinking that is dismissive at best and appallingly discriminatory at > > worst. > > > > > > > > > > Fourth, the claim that the criticism of the provision is only academic > and > > is divorced from prevailing ground realities is an equally problematic > > view. > > It is true that many still view having a disabled child as a curse. That > > they feel that a disabled offspring will not be able to contribute > > productively. That she would be an undue burden. And that there is a need > > to > > have an able-bodied child to compensate for this deficit. However, the > > existence of this thought process is a reason for us to fight tooth and > > nail > > against any attempts to codify these beliefs into law. We must do > > everything > > we can to interrogate, contest and dismantle this type of thinking. Not > put > > our weight behind those who seek to legitimize it by inscribing it into > > law. > > In other words, the ground realities that one member speaks of are the > very > > reason why we should fight back against this provision. > > > > > > > > Fifth, as another member points out, the selfsame arguments that are > being > > deployed to support this provision have been used in the past to support > > attempts to kill the girl child. Many facts of life that confront us in > > everyday life are horrendous and unfortunate. That is no reason to > defend a > > law that seeks to sanction these unfortunate realities. > > > > > > > > Sixth, as disabled people who strive everyday to realize our full > potential > > and to break down the barriers standing in our way, it is profoundly sad > > that some of us are willing to unhesitatingly subscribe to the > stereotypes > > that this provision embodies. Do we really think that a disabled life > > matters less? That a disabled person cannot contribute productively? That > > they cannot do as well as, if not surpass, their able-bodied siblings? To > > the extent that this is so, isn't the society we inhabit also to blame > for > > the disabled not realizing their full potential? > > > > > > > > Lastly, granted, some children may actually be born with disabilities > that > > are so severe and limiting that they may not be able to lead lives of > > productivity or a life without significant pain. Even if we accept for a > > moment that a deviation from the two child norm would be okay in such > > cases, > > that is not what this bill does. The provision does not deal with > > disabilities meeting such a high bar. It applies to those with all 21 > > disabilities covered by the 2016 Act, irrespective of their impact on the > > disabled child. > > > > > > > > I will conclude with the painful observation that the ableism displayed > by > > the disabled sometimes surpasses that exhibited by the able-bodied. With > > friends like these, who needs enemies? > > > > > > > > Rahul > > > > -- > > Disclaimer: > > 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of > the > > person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; > > > > 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the > mails > > sent through this mailing list.. > > > > > > Search for old postings at: > > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > > --- > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > > "AccessIndia" group. > > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > > email to [email protected]. > > To view this discussion on the web visit > > > https://groups.google.com/a/accessindia.org.in/d/msgid/accessindia/000501d77c15%24d135a430%2473a0ec90%24%40gmail.com > . > > > > > -- > Ketan Kothari > Phone: [r] 02228283281, > Cell: +919987550614 > +917021054612 > Facebook: facebook.com/muktaketan > Twitter: @muktaketan > Skype ID: Ketan3333 > > -- > Disclaimer: > 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of > the person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; > > 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails > sent through this mailing list.. > > > Search for old postings at: > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "AccessIndia" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To view this discussion on the web visit > https://groups.google.com/a/accessindia.org.in/d/msgid/accessindia/CAC4kLWU1EXPUPrYpomG9iixpiKmSq16mA4enZCNbzoPg2ZLs-g%40mail.gmail.com > . > -- Disclaimer: 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails sent through this mailing list.. Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "AccessIndia" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/a/accessindia.org.in/d/msgid/accessindia/CAEvMuD6QXMxr1FPod8838rEnsFi-G-59AO-rmYR9T3Hp38%2B32g%40mail.gmail.com.
