By Rohit Singh:
A few days back while travelling on a bus, I saw two young kids sitting in the corner seat with school bags on their shoulders. Every thing was perfectly fine until those two children started talking in sign language. Their gestures and expressions looked more real and confident than any other person on the bus. But the other fellow passengers started gazing at them and murmuring as if they belonged to some other planet. But it had no effect on those two children. They were unperturbed by it, it might be that they encounter those staring eyes more often. A bunch of paranoids in the society see disability as a curse. While under a tacit agreement some people view debility as a sign of disgrace.
According to the Census of 2011, ‘2.1 percent’ of the total population consists of disabled people, while WHO reports it to be around 2-6 percent. In a country where social stigmas like female birth and dowry are still prevalent and given more stress, social stigma associated with disabled people underwent deep neglect. Debility is not anyone’s choice, it’s an unwanted circumstance for them too. What they seek from others is a little bit of support and if not then not those gazing eyes even. The debility may have occurred with anyone including me and you. For instance if we change the positions we may get not the whole but some idea of their agony.
The need of the hour is to change the mindset of people towards debility and their approach to them. They are also the creation of same Mother Nature which created every other perfect-imperfect thing. Such people should be given equal opportunities not just for the sake of pity but for their right to be equally social as others. World has seen how disabled persons have shown them a new way to live. Their zeal and vigor for life is much more than any ordinary man. This world is full of examples of how these under estimated people have created the history by their perseverance.
Our motherland is known for the morals it carries. For the people who serve others before themselves. It is the land of saints and fakirs who renounced the world and served others. We should also try to fulfill some part of our responsibilities for others, for the world and most importantly for our conscience. Try to help the disadvantaged, beyond a matter of profit and loss. It is a symphony of love and care which creates the most beautiful music in the world.