Hello Subramani Before coming to merits of provision of handicapped coach for VI too, I would like to correct your statements about certain facts:
your statements are prefixed with S: and my comments follow with rajesh: prefixed: S: "This is quite apart from what Harish has written. I do acknowledge that seats marked as "handicapped" for each coach is booked by someone. Rajesh: There are no seats marked as handicapped for each coach. Only two berths in sleeper class are designated as handicapped quota in each train. Recently railway has been boasting of increasing this handicapped quota to six in certain trains like 2140/2139, 2163/2164 and maybe, some more. However, this increase is nothing but addition of four berths in handicapped coach to already existing two berths in sleeper class. As a result, the handicapped coach has become reserved as well as general and neither in conseaquence. Moreover, a person getting berths in HP quota is unaware whether she/he is given berths in regular sleeper class or handicapped coach. I had to circumnavigate entire sevagram express thrice in my journey from Nasik to Nagpur alighting at various stations of short duration to find my berth which was allotted in handicapped coach which was placed at the fag end of wrack and was marked s11. S: But my question is more fundamental --should we, as visually challenged folks who are otherwise able bodied-- opt for such reservations? Rajesh: Which reservations, subramani!? are you talking of two berths in sleeper class marked as handicapped quota, HP quota, or are you talking about handicapped coach? Otherwise able-bodied? don't you admit that visual impairment or absence of sight limits a person's capacity to move around freely substantially? So, VI is not confined to problems with eyes and sight, but directly affects performance in moving around and many other areas. Traveling in train without a berth is an ordeal best avoided, more so for a disabled person." S: For example if we are talking about sleeper coaches, lower births are often designated as "handicapped" seats. While this would make sense in the case of someone with orthopaedic challenge, I guess we all can climb up to the middle or top births easily. So, given this, should we ask for such a privileged? Rajesh: Again, no lower berths are marked as handicapped in each coach. Only two berths in entire train, of which one is lower and one is middle berths above it, are handicapped quota berths. I find no justification in maintaining that as VI can climb up all the berths, so there is no sense in designating lower and middle berths as HP quota. And the the need for handicapped coach, if it is a privillege at all, has been explained in my and harish's previous mail. Now, if we think about need for such a coach for VI also, then following points are of importance as per me. i. VI are surely included in persons with disabilities. II. Visual impairment of absence of sight does limit a person's capacity to move around and many other capacities as well. Travelling surely involves visual and many other capacities. Handicapped coach does not debarr us from getting berths in all other classes. It is meant for those who have to travel in general compartments for various reasons including economic incapacity or travel at the eleventh hour without reservation. In such situations, if a VI is required to travel in general compartment or in sleeper wait-listed, then surely handicapped coach is a legitimate option where she or he can travel without much inconvenience. I myself have traveled long distance in all classes of Indian railway right from Coupet in First AC to Handicapped coach with my wife and so can say out of first handexperience that the handicapped coach if implemented properly benefits VI travellers. Please think about the target group for which it is meant. s: I am not trying to say it should be abolished for PWDs at large. Of course it makes sense for certain category of disabled persons, but why for VI? Rajesh: It surely makes sense for VI as well. Regarding segregation etc. the less said better. Rajesh Asudani Assistant General Manager (PPS), Reserve Bank of India Nagpur 09420397185 O: 0712 2806676 Res: 0712 2591349 Doth God exact day-labour, light denied?" John Milton -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Subramani L Sent: Wednesday, July 15, 2009 7:15 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [AI] My Experience in the Handicapped Coach but SLCoachasper Railway. Hai: This is quite apart from what Harish has written. I do acknowledge that seats marked as "handicapped" for each coach is booked by someone. But my question is more fundamental --should we, as visually challenged folks who are otherwise able bodied-- opt for such reservations? For example if we are talking about sleeper coaches, lower births are often designated as "handicapped" seats. While this would make sense in the case of someone with orthopaedic challenge, I guess we all can climb up to the middle or top births easily. So, given this, should we ask for such a privileged? I am not trying to say it should be abolished for PWDs at large. Of course it makes sense for certain category of disabled persons, but why for VI? Subramani -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Parthiban Sent: Tuesday, July 14, 2009 11:09 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [AI] My Experience in the Handicapped Coach but SLCoachasper Railway. Dear Subramani, As you know, the quota of two seats in each train is being allotted in the normal reservation coaches only. I opined that the quota seats are allotted in the normal reservation coaches, when the person in the counter said to me that my seats have been booked under the handicapped quota. Had I known the fact that the seats have been allotted in the handicapped coach, definitely, I would have cancelled my ticket and planned my traveling for some other day. But as far as the handicapped coaches are concerned, it is definitely needed. You may aware that the separate coach is allotted for the military very often just for the convenience, it does not mean that they are out of the mainstream. Of course, opinions are always different. With regards. Parthiban M. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Subramani L" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, July 14, 2009 5:00 PM Subject: Re: [AI] My Experience in the Handicapped Coach but SL Coachasper Railway. > Pardon me putting across such a view, if any of you find this > unacceptable. Why should there be a handicapped coach in the first > place, if all of us can avail concessions through tickets of all kinds > (except, of course, in Shatabdi and Rajdani)? If the thing is about > finding a birth or a seat to travel, we are no better than others and so > --except in the case of persons with severe disability-- I wonder if we > should insist on having coaches like this at all. Fact is, we should ask > such "unique" identities be scrapped in order for us to be more > mainstream. > > Subramani > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] > [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Asudani, > Rajesh > Sent: Tuesday, July 14, 2009 10:09 AM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [AI] My Experience in the Handicapped Coach but SL Coach > asper Railway. > > This very thing had happened to me about ten months back and I had > expressed it on AI. > I don't know whether any demand to observe decency and logic while > demarcating handicapped coach was included in the demands to railway > minister a few days ago, which of course she has chosen to thrust in > cold storage!!!!!!! > > > > > Rajesh Asudani > > Assistant General Manager (PPS), > Reserve Bank of India > Nagpur > 09420397185 > O: 0712 2806676 > Res: 0712 2591349 > Doth God exact day-labour, light denied?" > John Milton > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] > [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Parthiban > Sent: Tuesday, July 14, 2009 12:21 AM > To: Access India > Subject: [AI] My Experience in the Handicapped Coach but SL Coach as per > Railway. > > Dear Friends, > > > > In continuation to our discussion about the handicapped coach, we had > one or two months back, I would like to share my horrible experience > which I had on 9th July while I was returning from Mumbai to Chennai in > the train No.2163 which runs from Dhadhar (Mumbai) to Egmore (Chennai). > > > > While I was trying to locate my Berth, I could find it in the So-called > SL Coach by Railway, but in fact it was designed for handicapped and it > is still running as handicapped coaches in many trains even now. > Initially, I sought the help of the Policeman who was on the duty there > who showed the so-called SL coach in which many people were already > sitting two of them were lying on the upper berths. I and my friend > showed the ticket, but the passengers refused to vacate the seats and > pleaded that the coach is meant for handicapped and there can be no > meaning of reservation. In consequence, again we sought the assistance > of the Policeman, he came and showed the chart displayed to the > passengers and asked them to sit on the floor of the coach so that the > seats can be occupied by the 4 reserved candidates. I mean to say that > he clarified as per his law that the seats are for reserved candidates > and the handicapped and old people without reservation can travel by > sitting on the > floor. Now, it is neither reserved coach nor handicapped coach > strictly speaking. > > > > As my humanism didn't allow to travel individually in the seat, I had to > adjust two of the orthopedic candidates with me in the seat for the > whole night. Up to Gulbarga, (Karnataka) the coach was full and after > that step-by-step, the coach was emptied. But to our surprise, in very > many stations, The Railway Police argued that the compartment should be > opened to the handicapped persons but in the chart it was mentioned that > only 4 persons are permitted. It was a real mockery on that day. > > > > Friends, in the four seats, two were reserved in handicapped quota and > the other two were reserved on the medical quota. Now, my doubt is > whether the handicapped coach is available in the long distance trains > or not or the Railway wants to run as handicapped compartment in the > short distance trains and in the long distance trains as reserved coach > in handicapped quota. > > > > Please express your opinion in this regard and be careful in future if > your ticket is reserved in handicapped quota and is allotted in SL > coach. > > > > With regards. > > > > > > Parthiban M. > > > To unsubscribe send a message to [email protected] > with the subject unsubscribe. > > To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, > please visit the list home page at > > http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.i > n > > Notice: This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential > and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they > are addressed. 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