Media and Persons with Disabilities

By K Sarojkumar Sharma *

The intrinsic beauty of a healthy society is shown by its members' rational thinking, positive outlook, humane vision and respect among themselves and towards others.

I saw two brave persons—a locomotor-disabled girl and a blind boy—in the midst of last year's State level world AIDS Day observation at the parade ground of 1st Manipur Rifles at Imphal. Atop a wheelchair a calm Waikhom Monalisa gave a little smile after she got an off-white shawl from the hands of Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh, and seconds later the jam-packed people cheered her up with a roaring applause sound.

This ovation was the true award of 26-year-old Monalisa as she donated blood eight times to the people. Similar honour was also showered on the visually- impaired man, Kh Premjit who donated blood 32 times. "With a firm determination to serve the society, I have donated my blood eight times since childhood and I'm proud to be honoured by the State for my little contribution, "said Monalisa (26), a resident of Wangkhei Lourembam Leikai in Imphal East.

Premjit (32) quipped "My sudden enthusiasm to donate blood came after going through a local media report that the blood bank of the Imphal based Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (Rims) lacked blood stock. At this point of time the main justification and craftsmanship of a journalist in making stories evolve.

This aspect consistently pertains to the mental calculation of the scribe to decide whether he or she should do both stories—major event of World Aids day and that of two Persons with Disabilities (PWDs)—or only the major event. Despite the large presence of scribes covering that event, only few of them did a special story on these two brave PWDs.

Keeping aside this case, the State media, however, carry out maximum report on dated or event-based report on PWDs. Sadly, I find only a few in-depth or analytical stories on the differently abled persons and their related issues.

This is perhaps an unhealthy trend in Manipur media considering the large number of social commentators and energetic journalists.

Upon this, hordes of questions on media's failure to give special attention on PWDs have come up. One of the main reasons for this failure, according to my personal view, is perhaps the pre-occupation or mingling the cause and effects of the conflict situation besetting strife-torn Manipur in the minds of most of the journalists.

As killings have become a normal feature, crime or insurgency-related news stories dominate in the main story chart of the State media . This being the case, positive reporting, developmental journalism and other undated stories on PWDs find little time and space in both the print and electronic media.

Another factor is the lack of coordination between subject experts (on PWDs) and the State scribes. Except for the major event days like the World Disabled Day and other occasions like press conferences, these two groups seldom meet each other.

These NGOs too fail to provide press statements or updated reports on issues related with PWDs and their possible consequences to the State and the general public to the media. The difficulties in finding time, good materials and updated reports on the subject matter by the media persons can also be counted as another key reason.

Like what some of the media houses keep specialised reporters on political, crime, entertainment or film, they can also groom their own scribes to do detailed and analytical report on PWDs to ensure all major issues of the differently abled persons are addressed by the authorities. Imphal-based reporters have a hard time to gather PWDs' issues and programme in far flung hill areas. This is because of the lack of sponsorship by the concerned parties coupled with the financial crunch faced by these media organisations.

To bridge the gap between the State media and PWDs and their related NGOs, the latter can hold media sensitisation programme regularly enough to instill knowledge on the subject matter to those journalists who are keen in specialising the issue. Commentaries on success stories on genius PWDs among others like Helen Keller who championed for the cause of the blind and the deaf people and English theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking and their immense contributions to mankind should be opened to them.

Any updated major reports concerning PWDs across the globe should be supplied to such journalists and if possible the State authorities in association with the related NGOs should sponsor trips to interior villages to do stories on the differently abled persons. An impetus would be given to these journalists on the subject matter if the related NGOs convened an informal meeting to discuss all provisions of the Persons with Disability (Equal Opportunities, protection of rights and full participation) Act, 1995 and the Government's mindset and vision in implementing its major sections.

Journalists had a hard time to surf internet and consult experts over phone in the nick of time when they were compelled to do news stories incorporating this Act. Last year Manipur witnessed a sudden eruption on the issue as PWDs demanded implementation of this Act particularly on the 3 per cent job reservation for them in Group A and B.

Some powerful pressure groups set up by the PWDs including the All Tribal Disabled Union, Manipur (Atdum) are instrumental in pressurising the Government to implement this act. I hope the authorities concerned and the related NGOs and social activists may find a good time to jointly discuss and implement my humble suggestions for the betterment of the PWDs.


*** This writer is also associated with leading national and international media groups. He presented and discussed this text during a one day seminar on the role of media and writers to help addressing the plights of persons with disabilities at Kuki Inn at Imphal on January 3, 2010.
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