"can post on their wall" sorry, I didn't get this. Further, I have been using Facebook and Twitter quite enjoyingly. And if you don't like my regular postings here on Access India, just ignore/delete. No issues, but I am using this platform to dissiminate relevant info which is vital for all of us. Thanks for your recommendation!☺
On 2/29/12, gufran <[email protected]> wrote: > hi avinash shahi i recommend to use facebook or twitter. we can brows > the particular news paper/ e media profile and can post on their wall. > > > On 28-02-2012 18:27, avinash shahi wrote: >> Hi Mr Vamshi >> I meant, not this, but in future many more like this pieces should be >> published in the mainstream Newspapers and journals. But its not easy >> to get published anyway! untill members from our own community hold >> power to allowing publishing of such beauties. >> >> >> >> On 2/28/12, Vamshi. G<[email protected]> wrote: >>> Is this article published in the main stream society? I think it's >>> more important to publish pieces like this in the press, instead of >>> posting on fora like ours. >>> Since this is posted on a public forum, will any print media accept to >>> publish this? >>> >>> On 2/28/12, avinash shahi<[email protected]> wrote: >>>> Spot on! >>>> Written from the core of heart and mind both. >>>> Thank you Shruti for sharing with us. >>>> Hats off to Shampa Sengupta lady activist. >>>> We need more such writings in mainstream to brodden our movement and >>>> open well of people's eyes. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> On 2/28/12, Sruti disAbility Rights Centre<[email protected]> wrote: >>>>> This article is written by Shampa Sengupta, a Kolkata based activist >>>>> working on gender and disability issues. As Indian disability sector is >>>>> upset with several cases of discrimination faced by disabled passengers >>>>> in >>>>> the air, she ponders whether as activists the issues of masses are >>>>> being >>>>> overlooked which makes the movement more for the selected few. >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> All of us who work for disability rights were enraged at the news of >>>>> treatment meted out to fellow activist Jeeja Ghosh by Spicejet Airlines >>>>> when she was flying to attend an International seminar from Kolkata to >>>>> Goa. >>>>> Media played a vital role and gave ample coverage to the incident >>>>> screaming >>>>> loud that such behaviour with disabled passengers is totally >>>>> unbecoming. >>>>> In solidarity, different groups came together to organise a protest >>>>> meeting >>>>> in Jeeja’s own city Kolkata. National level rights based groups raised >>>>> hue >>>>> and cry. And for a change, to our satisfaction, we came to know that >>>>> our >>>>> newly appointed Chief Commissioner of Disabilities of India took >>>>> suo-motu >>>>> action and issued a show-cause notice based on media reports to the >>>>> concerned airlines. >>>>> >>>>> However the question here is not that of one Jeeja Ghosh or one >>>>> specific >>>>> airline. We all know of similar cases in past. Some of them got media >>>>> coverage and some of them did not get any. When activists face these >>>>> kinds >>>>> of situations, they raise their voices. Some of these make news >>>>> headlines, >>>>> some do not. However, large numbers of cases remain unreported. So one >>>>> does not feel surprised when within few days of Jeeja Ghosh incident, >>>>> another disabled activist Anjlee Agarwal faces humiliation while flying >>>>> from Delhi to Raipur. We are aware that these experiences are part of >>>>> lives of disabled people. We are proud that Jeeja and Anjlee have the >>>>> guts >>>>> to put up the fight. The disability sector of India has also started >>>>> looking at civil aviation policies and rules once again, started >>>>> discussing >>>>> and demanding changes that should be incorporated. It is ironical that >>>>> both >>>>> Jeeja and Anjlee work for including disability in mainstream with one >>>>> of >>>>> them focusing on accessible environment. It is humiliating and painful >>>>> for >>>>> any disabled person to face this while travelling by air. >>>>> >>>>> But a greater irony is the fact that we are forgetting the large number >>>>> of >>>>> disabled population who face harassment in travelling by any mode of >>>>> transport on a regular basis. And here I am not talking about physical >>>>> accessibility of buses, metro, trains, trams or any other public >>>>> transport. >>>>> I am talking about the attitudinal barriers they face when they try to >>>>> use >>>>> public transport. It is important to remember here that thousands of >>>>> disabled people in India do not even dream of boarding an aircraft in >>>>> their >>>>> life-time. One does not have to be an activist to know that poverty and >>>>> disability go hand in hand. While most of us spending our time in >>>>> thinking >>>>> of making “skies” inclusive, let us give some time to make the ground >>>>> below >>>>> our feet more inclusive. >>>>> >>>>> Endless cases are heard about attitudinal barriers disabled people face >>>>> while travelling in a bus. Only once we could make it to a newspaper >>>>> headlines. Bidyut Dey, a 50 yr old man with amputed leg was thrown out >>>>> of >>>>> a >>>>> Government bus as he said he has the right to travel without tickets. >>>>> Dey >>>>> himself a West Bengal Government employee is an organiser of sports of >>>>> disabled people. He travels all over India with a cricket team >>>>> comprising >>>>> of disabled youngsters. He refused to let this incident go unreported >>>>> and >>>>> lodged a FIR and followed up the case regularly. That he was ridiculed >>>>> by >>>>> Police for making such trivia a case, and the Magistrate who was >>>>> listening >>>>> to his case was shocked to find that a man can refuse to buy tickets >>>>> while >>>>> travelling and say that this is his right, is another story. Neither >>>>> the >>>>> Police officer nor the magistrate was even aware of a law called >>>>> Persons >>>>> with Disabilities Act after 12 years of enactment. These are the facts >>>>> we >>>>> have learnt to accept. Like we have accepted that problems in daily >>>>> commuting is not a big issue. >>>>> >>>>> I still remember when Jeeja and I were co-workers in the same project, >>>>> she >>>>> faced similar harassment while travelling in a mini-bus. Jeeja being >>>>> the >>>>> fighter did not let it go, she made a formal complaint to the Bus >>>>> Workers >>>>> Union and was given a formal apology. But such instances of resistance >>>>> remains isolated cases and on a whole disability sector never made a >>>>> consolidated effort to make this a priority issue. >>>>> >>>>> When on 3rd December 2011, a group of 10 blind people were not allowed >>>>> to >>>>> board a bus. They were not allowed as the conductor felt that there are >>>>> two >>>>> reserved seats in a bus marked “handicapped” and anyway blind people >>>>> will >>>>> not pay bus tickets, so he is not obliged to give them a ride. These >>>>> people >>>>> were coming to join a Rally organised for World Disability Day >>>>> organised >>>>> by >>>>> West Bengal’s largest disability network Paschim Banga Rajya >>>>> Pratibandhi >>>>> Sammilani. When political activists are barred from joining rallies or >>>>> meetings, it becomes “headlines”. But such infringement of right to >>>>> join >>>>> a >>>>> Rally by disabled people was given a miss by all media houses despite >>>>> this >>>>> rally being covered by press. >>>>> >>>>> People who have invisible disability suffer other kinds of harassment >>>>> in >>>>> the buses. As Joyeeta Ganguly, another colleague narrated to me what is >>>>> a >>>>> common experience for her. She has 100 % hearing impairment, but very >>>>> often >>>>> conductors believe that she is entitled to “handicapped” seat or free >>>>> bus >>>>> ride. Carrying disability certificate and showing it when required does >>>>> not >>>>> always help. Often conductors believe that she is acting to be disabled >>>>> to >>>>> get away with a free ride. I am not even trying to include experiences >>>>> of >>>>> people with intellectual or psychosocial disabilities in this article. >>>>> A >>>>> complete thesis can be written on those experiences. >>>>> >>>>> We have also seen several meetings demonstrations and demands regarding >>>>> making Railways accessible to all. Demands to make buses and >>>>> bus-terminuses >>>>> disabled friendly are also not unheard of. There is a need to think of >>>>> making bus drivers and conductors sensitive towards the issue of >>>>> disability. An organisation called National Institute of Professionals >>>>> who >>>>> run computer classes for the blind tried to make an innovative effort >>>>> towards the same. For the last two years they used the occasion of >>>>> Raksha >>>>> Bandhan to do so. On this occasion, rakhis are tied on the hands of bus >>>>> conductors/ drivers at a central Kolkata Bus depot by disabled girls. >>>>> Thus >>>>> a very popular religious and social festival is used as a platform to >>>>> start >>>>> a bonding of friendship between disabled and those who are not. Being >>>>> personally present on both these occasions, I saw a visibly touched bus >>>>> –conductor grabbing a mike and announce that from today he will make >>>>> extra >>>>> effort to take care of disabled passengers. There are reasons to >>>>> believe >>>>> that these kinds of sensitization programmes can have far reaching >>>>> effects >>>>> where a seminar or a workshop cannot reach. >>>>> >>>>> However the onus on mass awareness campaign cannot lie in the hands of >>>>> NGOs. Article 8 of UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with >>>>> Disabilities >>>>> to which India is a signatory mandates the state parties to adopt >>>>> immediate, effective and appropriate measures to raise awareness >>>>> throughout >>>>> society. There are provisions of awareness raising in both Persons with >>>>> Disabilities Act and the National Trust Act. The draft Country report >>>>> “poised For Change” gives us some ideas on kinds of activities taken up >>>>> by >>>>> the Government agencies on awareness. Unfortunately, most of the >>>>> programmes >>>>> seem to be addressed to talking to those who are already converted. The >>>>> National Trust website says that they have spend Rs. 80.01 lakhs in the >>>>> year 2010-11. Its flagship awareness programme Badhte Kadam 2011’s >>>>> budget >>>>> was almost 50% less than the same programme of 2010. If non-disabled >>>>> community is not sensitised then the dream of building an inclusive >>>>> world >>>>> will remain a distant dream. >>>>> >>>>> Yes it is important to document the cases of discrimination faced by >>>>> disabled people in airline travels. It is important to review the >>>>> existing >>>>> civil aviation rules and policies and to punish the offenders in such >>>>> cases. But should we not prioritise our work so that we can bring the >>>>> poor >>>>> and marginalised disabled population within the arena of rights? If we >>>>> leave behind the mass and try to take off to make the sky inclusive, >>>>> will >>>>> we be able to navigate the disability rights movement towards right >>>>> direction? >>>>> >>>>> Search for old postings at: >>>>> http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ >>>>> >>>>> 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.in >>>>> >>>>> >>>> >>>> -- >>>> "The best things and most beautiful things in the world Cannot be seen >>>> or even touched. They must be felt within the heart." — Helen Keller >>>> >>>> Avinash Shahi >>>> M.A. Political Science >>>> CPS JNU >>>> New Delhi India >>>> >>>> >>>> Search for old postings at: >>>> http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ >>>> >>>> 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.in >>>> >>>> >>> >>> -- >>> G. Vamshi >>> PH Res : +91 877-2243861 >>> Mobile: +91 9949349497 >>> E-mail ID: >>> [email protected] >>> Skype: gvamshi81 >>> >>> www.retinaindia.org >>> From darkness unto light >>> >>> >>> Search for old postings at: >>> http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ >>> >>> 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.in >>> >>> >> > > -- > > with thanks and regards > Gufran ahmed. > The only way of finding the limits of the possible is by going beyond them > into the impossible. > Arthur C. Clarke > > mobile: +91-7890125197 > skype id: gufran.ahmed3 > > > > Search for old postings at: > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > > 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.in > > -- "The best things and most beautiful things in the world Cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt within the heart." — Helen Keller Avinash Shahi M.A. Political Science CPS JNU New Delhi India Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ 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.in
