For a long time, the persons with disabilities (herewith PWDs) in our State had remained invisible, trapped within their disabled body, looked down upon an marginalized from the mainstream. But your esteem leadership’s assurance through the notification of ‘5% reservation for the PWD’s in Government jobs’ was interpreted by us as the State Governments intention of doing away with the wrong notions of disabilities.
Sir, it is very disheartening and discouraging that even after your notification, the habit of not specifying whether the PWD’s can apply or not in the advertisement is still continuing. For instance, even the NPSC failed to specify in its last advertisement (inviting applications to various NCS and other related exams) but only as on addendum, that too after the closing date of application submissions. Due to this failure of the NPSC to specify in time, most of the educated PWD’s were refrained from applying for fear of wasting their time, money and energy, only to be thrown out during the time of oral/ viva as in the past. Thus it should be made mandatory that, every advertisement inviting applications for jobs etc, under the State Government undertaking to specify whether the PWD’s can apply or not. If yes, the quota of each type of disabilities should be spelled out.
Sir, the disabled people are disabled by disfunctioning of a particular part of the body, but they are a ‘differently abled body’ who can contribute their might in a greater way and in different manner towards the progress of our State. Considering that PWD’s are being continuously sidelined in the employment avenues presently due to the non-identification of jobs, lack of infrastructures, technical know-how, preferences/ reservations should be given to the PWD’s in Central/ State financial grants and aids meant for alleviating the problems of the educated unemployed youths.
Sir, without bringing the disabled into the mainstream of development it would be impossible to solve the problems of unemployment in our State. As part of the process of ‘equal opportunities’, provisions wherever necessary should be made to assist the PWD’s to enable them to assume their full responsibility as a productive and dignified citizen. An exclusive society is of benefit not only to PWD’s but also to other groups of society as a whole. Disability emerges as handicap for an individual if he/ she is prevented from participating in normal activities and when his/ her inherited talents, abilities, wisdom and knowledge are not recognized or when his/ her potentials are underestimated.
Sir, basing on the above facts I request your high authority that, Government under your esteem leadership delve deep into the matter and take responsibility to streamline the PWD’s in the mainstream and to ensure that PWD’s are no more sidelined, debarred or discriminated upon due to personal and attitudinal barrier or lack of political will.
You had given us the power to dream, please give wings to our dreams too.
(I dedicate this open letter to the gentleman who accosted me on my way to attend Medumneo programme, to tell me how he could not make it in the CMs corpus fund interview loan. To understand what he was saying being hearing impaired, I tried to read his lips- he was finding it difficult to speak. Sadly it would have been the reason….a victim of social injustice)
K. Khiungtsukiu Yim
Tuensang