Hi friends, I am a regularreader of this list. Today I want to share a true incident with you all which is making me said and angry both and moving my inner conscience. although it may be out of the scope of this list but I feel our visual disability is in the centre of this incident in which I happened to get involved today. This incident is about our day today accessibility, experiences which we ordinarily face outside and even more in the society. It has enriched my experience as being disabled. I am expecting your comments and remarks over it and about what we all should do in such circumstances. Now I straight do come to the incident. I was happened to travel to my hometown along with another visually challenged friend Baljeet from Gurgaon where I came for some urgent work. My home town which is also in Gurgaon was not even very far off. A private buss which I knew was heading to our location. Conductor misguided us and physically forced us for not to board this buss. Despite his constant negation and slight force to prevent us we got in to the buss by equal force as many of you would have done at any point in your life more in case of private busses. My visually challenged friend alighted on his destination before me. I communicated to the conductor that I may inform the PCR if he behaved in such an offending manner especially when I was ready to pay the fair. In a fit of anger he said to me “ek kan par marunga”. I will blow on your ear. i got literally afraid. If it punctured my airdrum though law will take its course but I will never get my ear back. Therefore, at that time I thought wiseful to remain silent. Even many of the gentlemen and gentle ladies commuters were saying that: “are buss men baitha to liya na. tumhe isiliye koi baithata hi nahi hai”. (at last conductor has allowed you to sit in the buss so how does it matter?” for this reason (the way you are behaving ) no conductors wants such people enter in to their busses.” I tried to make them convince and understand in a soft voice in my best capacity that I also have self-respect and dignity I am also paying him equal fair and how can he refuse me the entry in to the buss? I made them understand that though as they were saying the bus was private but it was for public transprtation. but they (two or three co-passengers) were adamant. Some of others were saying “are Kuch nahi hua seat to mil gain a ab chup-chap baith jao” “now you have got seat therefore now you can sit quietly.” As if I was struggling it all to get a place to sit in the buss. At last I phoned to PCR. Despite my repeated exhortation conductor refuse to talk to the PCR. Even he refused to divulge body number of the buss as PCR was asking the buss number. Even the worst part is that no passenger was ready to tell me the same. Anyhow I could manage to inform the location of the buss. The other worst part was that PCR informed me that police is waiting for the buss at a distance of around seven KM from the location of the buss. I wonder if it is the case in Gurgaon than what might be the condition in smaller and far-flung cities and villages. For this reason I didn’t get down on my destination as which was before that. Even conductor taunted me “are vaikil sahib aap ka stoppage aGaya”. (honourable advocate your destination has come”. one co-passenger lady said to conductor: “are aaj to ye tumhe hathkadi hi pahana kar maanega”. “Isiliye to tumhe koi baithata nahi hai. ek tobuss men baitha bhi liyaoopar se tum uski complaint kar rahe ho”. “kuch bhi to aisa nahi hua.” (today he will breathe only after making you ware hand-cuffs. At least he allowed you in the buss and on that you are complaining about him only. Therefore,no conductor allows you in the busses. After police barricaded the buss, conductor and driver all began apologizing and at the same time feigned their innocence in the matter as if they did not know anything about it, They pretended that any such thing didn’t occurred and they did not in indulge anything of sort. Some of the Passengers also took their sides. They were many but I argued my case with them for almost one hour. Anyhow after heated arguments I was able to compel police to chalan the buss as initially they were not ready to do. Cutting it short conductor and driver profusely apologized to me and emotionally blackmailed me by all means and methods that they knew. Now Police was ready to issue Chalan now it was all up to my will. He was swearing in the name of Ramadan at another occasion in the same breath he said that I am also Yadavof your caste only. After exhausting all avenues he wanted safety in the name of caste and community as he claimed to belong to the same caste I belong to. See these hypocritical people. Here my purpose is not to comment on any religion but to expose his lies. At this point police played their usual spoiler. Although I refused to share contact details any of my family members. Perhaps in their mind they knew that only my family members could convince me take back my complaint. they took me along with them to drop me at my home as they were not ready to let me go on my home though I insisted several times that I am adult and you do talk to me as incident has occurred with me. When they didn’t yielded I have to go with them to my home. Now all driver, conductor and police began to apologize and convince all my family members and brothers and uncles to persuade me to take back the complaint. There also police was stating that they were ready to chalan (fine) the buss and they have to if I still insisted. Although initially I refused to take back the complaint at no cost but under moral pressure and prolonged persuasion especially by my family members I felt compelled to take back the complaint otherwise Chalan (hafty fine along with some additional punishment) was certain. Here the incident ends. Here my feeling is that at large society either it is police, bus operators, or passengers and sometimes our family members don’t seem to understand our struggle. It doesn’t cost anything to my family members to let that bus driver and conductor go unpunished. Instead they got the credit and bountiful appreciation for mediation. At that time they forgot and failed to understand and feel the struggle and agony I underwent during that all and in putting my case. Perhaps they don’t know the struggle we face outside as being disabled. I am feeling sad but somewhat satisfied that at least I reached so close perhaps driver and conductor would take some lesson from this. But I am said that even our families don’t understand us. Though I guess that some of you may support and subscribe to the views and action of my family. But at least from my family even if they are part of my extended joint family I expect them to support me instead of moved by crocodile tears of buss driver and conductor. They need to cooperative and empathize to our pain, struggle and rights. It is because of such some insensitive people in the society such as these protagonists passengers, driver, conductor and policemen people with disability and even others also face types of problems. face it is bitter but true. What do you think friends?
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