An apt summery of what we feel
And I quote from Avinash:

" Therefore, amidst harsh poverty faced by the disabled,  extolling them as 
“divyang” is not less than a covert ploy to shield their resilient character 
and struggle as human beings."


Further, deifying the disabled brings into sharp contrast assertions of former 
RSS pramukhs about alleged sins of disabled in previous births to which many 
able bodied and even those disabled blinded religiously also give impromptu 
ascent.

How does present prime minister propose to reconcile the two?

सादर / With thanks & Regards
राजेश आसुदानी Rajesh Asudani
सहायक महाप्रबन्धक AGM
बाजार आसूचना ईकाई MIU
भारतीय रिजर्व बैंक Reserve Bank of India
नागपुर Nagpur

0712 2806846

President
VIBEWA
Co-Moderator
VIB-India

A-pilll = Action coupled with Positivity, Interest, Love, Logic and laughter.


-----Original Message-----
From: AccessIndia [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf Of 
Venkataraman Nagarajan
Sent: Wednesday, January 13, 2016 6:28 PM
To: AccessIndia: a list for discussing accessibility and issues concerning the 
disabled.
Subject: Re: [AI] My article in the Tribune today: Deifying people with 
disabilities a cruel joke

Here is the article:
Quote:
Deifying people with disabilities a cruel jokeAvinash Shahi
A large number of disabled people are striving for the bare minimum, and
they are still “divyang” for the Prime Minister, is it not ironical? Merely
a change in nomenclature for addressing disabled people is no substitute
for empowering disabled persons
Posted at: Jan 10 2016 11:11PM
[image: India is a signatory to the UN Convention on Rights of Persons with
Disabilities]
India is a signatory to the UN Convention on Rights of Persons with
Disabilities

In India, the people with disabilities are addressed by many denominations
interchangeably.  Since the mid-1980s, patronising terms such as
“differently abled” and “specially abled” have been quite common in public
parlance. Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his last Mann ki Baat,
broadcast on December 27, 2015,  appealed to the public to adopt the use of
the term “divyang” (divine body) to address  persons with disabilities.
This well-intentioned  appeal by the Prime Minister, through the state-run
All India Radio, to call people with disabilities as “divyang” (divine
bodies) could do great damage to their dignity and identity.

People with disabilities have long been enduring  the pain of not being
addressed as normal human beings as they think themselves to be. Moreover,
the term “divyang” is antithetical to the definition of disability
envisaged under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities, to which India is a signatory.

The UNCRPD stipulates that disability occurs due to extraneous factors such
as physical, psychological and environmental barriers. The Indian
Government which ratified the treaty, is thus duty-bound not to contravene
the provisions of the UN treaty in the domestic legislation and the public
policy on disability. Persons with disabilities have long been demanding
from the State that they should neither be pilloried as evil mortals nor be
deified. They are as human, with distinct physiological and psychological
attributes, as other non-disabled individuals in  society.

However, too much obsession with the notion of “abelism” in the public
sphere has dashed the dream of the people with disabilities from becoming
equal citizens on a par with others. They are often pitied and treated with
charity. They are not respected as people having Constitutional rights. The
woes of the People with Disabilities related to accessibility, education
and employment are paid tangential attention. The Central Government
allocates meagre budgetary support for their empowerment.  For instance, in
the last Budget of 2014-15, presented by the Finance Minister Arun Jaitely,
it was paltry Rs 5,000 crore. Moreover, the state governments' indifference
towards people with disabilities is more shocking.

 Despite disability being one of the subjects in the state list under the
Seventh Schedule of the Constitution, several states are yet to formulate a
comprehensive policy on disability issues. The demand for bringing
 disability in the concurrent list is yet to be met. As a result, the large
number of people with disabilities residing in the rural areas are
compelled to live in inescapable penury. However, the governments at the
Centre and in the states remain negligent about their pressing needs.The
daily ordeal of the persons with disabilities at the grassroot reveal their
vulnerabilities which requires an urgent attention from the government.

Therefore, amidst harsh poverty faced by the disabled,  extolling them as
“divyang” is not less than a covert ploy to shield their resilient
character and struggle as human beings.

Undoubtedly,  people with disabilities face daunting hurdles and create
innovative ways to overcome them. However, their struggle to deal with the
obstacles should not be glorified. People with disabilities should not be
construed as passive subjects. They are  agents of their own destiny. It is
thus imperative for the Government to take them on board before formalising
any new terminology in the disability legislation.

The Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPWD) should
seek responses from the disability sector on the term “divyang” suggested
by the Prime Minister. The view of the Prime Minister reflects the mindset
of a large section in the Indian society who are judgmental about the
capabilities  of the people with disabilities. Instances abound, such
preconceived  notions held by the political class and the Indian
bureaucracy have dealt irreparable damage to the disabled people. Like any
other non-disabled person, disabled people want to earn respect by their
deeds and live with dignity.

Therefore, instead of patronising and glorifying them, the government at
the Centre and in the states need to create a conducive climate in which
they get a level playing field, at par with others. Until the government
does not undertake serious efforts to do away with the stigma attached with
disability, the hardships of the disabled would continue to be accentuated.
Merely a change in the nomenclature for addressing the disabled people is
inadequate.

A much deeper engagement with the plight of the disabled people is needed
to bring about substantive transformation in their lives. A large number of
disabled people are striving for the bare minimum, and they are still
“divyang” for the Prime Minister. It's a cruel joke with their lives.
“What's in a name”, they wonder.

*The writer is a doctoral candidate at the Centre for the Study of Law and
Governance, JNU*

*Unquote:*

*Venkataraman*
- See more at:
http://www.tribuneindia.com/mobi/news/comment/deifying-people-with-disabilities-a-cruel-joke/181902.html#sthash.6Yg35Lks.dpuf

On Wednesday 13 January 2016, madhu <madhu.singha...@gmail.com> wrote:

> I will be happy if you can paste the article.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: AccessIndia [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in
> <javascript:;>] On Behalf
> Of avinash shahi
> Sent: Wednesday, January 13, 2016 12:26 PM
> To: emailtotha...@gmail.com <javascript:;>; AccessIndia: a list for
> discussing
> accessibility and issues concerning the disabled.
> Subject: Re: [AI] My article in the Tribune today: Deifying people with
> disabilities a cruel joke
>
> Many thanks all for your appreciation and insightful comments. It
> would be nice if the editors of Braille magazines in the country
> reproduce this in their respective upcoming editions. Let the write-up
> travel where Internet is yet to penetrate.
> Thanks
>
> On 1/12/16, Mr Abhishek Thakur <emailtotha...@gmail.com <javascript:;>>
> wrote:
> > Excellent critique Abinash.
> > Your arguments were really good.
> > Looking forward to read more from you in future
> > Regards
> >
> >
> > On 1/12/16, Misbah <jnu.mis...@gmail.com <javascript:;>> wrote:
> >> It is timely and very well argued peace. Congrats avinash
> >>
> >> On 1/12/16, Surya Prakash <spsharma.gc...@gmail.com <javascript:;>>
> wrote:
> >>> Hello,
> >>> very well written article Avinash! keep it up.up.
> >>>
> >>> Sent with AquaMail for Android
> >>> http://www.aqua-mail.com
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> On January 11, 2016 12:14:50 PM avinash shahi <
> shahi88avin...@gmail.com <javascript:;>>
> >>> wrote:
> >>>
> >>>> Dear Access Indians,
> >>>> I'm glad to share my second piece within a month and first in 2016
> >>>> published in another major English Daily The Tribune today. Please
> >>>> read, comment and if you agree with the arguments share widely in your
> >>>> network. I expect the Prime Minister will find time and read this
> >>>> soon.
> >>>>
>
> http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/comment/deifying-people-with-disabilities-a
> -cruel-joke/181902.html
> >>>>
> >>>> --
> >>>> Avinash Shahi
> >>>> Doctoral student at Centre for Law and Governance JNU
> >>>>
> >>>> Celebrating Louis Braill birthday, Jan. 4th.
> >>>>
> >>>> Register at the dedicated AccessIndia list for discussing
> accessibility
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> >>
> >>
> >> --
> >> with regards
> >> Misbah
> >>
> >>
> >> Register at the dedicated AccessIndia list for discussing accessibility
> >> of
> >> mobile phones / Tabs on:
> >>
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> http://mail.accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/mobile.accessindia_accessind
> ia.org.in
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> >
> > --
> > Abhishek Thakur
> >  Research scholar
> > Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai India
> > Contact number: 7303438391
> >
> >
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>
> --
> Avinash Shahi
> Doctoral student at Centre for Law and Governance JNU
>
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