How inclusive are we?
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: December 03, 2013 -

Since 1992, 3rd of December every year is being observed around the globe as the International Day for Persons with Disabilities. The Day has been designated by the United Nations General Assembly to promote awareness of disability issues and the abilities of people with disabilities under different themes.

This year, the observance is to be marked under the theme of "Break barriers, open doors: for an inclusive society for all".

The significance of this year's theme arises from the fact that all these years, the observance of International Day for Persons with Disabilities has generally confined to promotion of public awareness on the issues of disability and the challenges faced by people with disabilities without much attention on realising the potentials and abilities of people with disabilities, who could very well contribute their mite to the development of human society in various fields, nothing lesser, if not more, than any other normal people, provided they are given the right opportunity and platform.

The selection of this year's theme is also in tandem with the ongoing process being made toward defining the new global development agenda that will replace the framework of Millennium Development Goal (MDG) beyond 2015 by ensuring every stakeholder incorporate the needs of persons with disabilities and 'seize every opportunity' to include their rights in any future agreement so that they could participate in the developmental process as key players and not as observers, any more. So, the key word here is 'inclusive'.

In the context of Manipur, it may be far fetched to talk about redefining the global development agenda or replacing the MDG framework beyond 2015.

But as we step forward to observe yet another United Nations-mandated International Day for Persons with Disabilities, there are certain questions that need to be answered and the issues that need to be understood for making the annual observance to have any meaning to people living with disability in the State.

Disability is something that makes entry into our lives either through birth or unexpectedly after an accident or illness. So, discriminating persons with disabilities or denying them any room to grow and nurture their abilities in the society is indeed very cruel, especially when every individual is said to have been created by God in his own image and they come into this world with some sort of talents bestowed upon them.

Unfortunately, how inclusive is Manipuri society to the issues of disability is something well known from its exclusiveness.

Regardless of the talks and assurances, denial of the due rights to persons with disabilities continues to making news in the State.

But there has been no abled person who could speak up for their rights.

Persons with disabilities themselves have to come out and hit the road crying hoarse against the apathetic attitude of the Government towards their plight.

Forgetting all other issues, just imagine, even the office buildings of various Government Departments including that of Social Welfare Department, are yet to be ensured disabled friendly.

So, breaking the barriers to open doors to persons with disabilities in still a distant dream in Manipur, not to speak of an inclusive society for all.

Period.