Kumar Gaurav
The Development plan (2014-2034) for Mumbai is all set to roll and the government has ensured full participation of every citizen of this state. Recent data shows that 10% of the Mumbai population experiences some form of disability or impairment and their participation in development plan is also a necessary factor to be taken into account. During the process of revision of this development plan, it was found that participation of disability rights group was highly ignored. This negligence was actually started from millennium development goal when issues pertaining to disability were again ignored to the utmost.
Mumbai is India’s commercial capital city, where people come with their aspirations, dreams and a stomach to feed because this city provide livelihood to everyone. The same scenario for PWD (Person with Disability) in Mumbai is very different; their accessibility to an opportunity is limited and most of the times these limited opportunities are also blocked. It is a fact that none of the city’stransport system (railways, roadways, bus station, railway station, buses and train), banks, universities, government offices, even municipals is not accessible for them. It shows almost every public space in Mumbai is not accessible of a PWD.
When we look at fulfillment of basic needs such as health and education of a PWD, it was found that these needs were also ignored. This article will point out the condition of Shivaji Nagar, Govandi, and the place with lowest HDI(Human Development Index) 0.05 in Mumbai, with a population of around 3 Lakhs. This area has approximately more than 6 thousand PWD with no special school, no rehab unit, and no medical center or hospital specialized or equipped for the need of disabled people.
The recent meeting happened in APNALYA (an NGO working in Shivaji Nagar) with various stakeholders pertaining to various issues, where some students of TISS, Mumbai raised the Point of unavailability of any reserved area and other area including for the welfare of PWD. However it was demanded by the various disability groups before the revision of the plan to have multi-use resource center in the locality according to the number of Person with disability in the area.
The Maharashtra State Action Plan for the welfare of Persons with Disabilities (2001) in chapter 2, clause 9, stresses on the need of primary health centers equipped to handle concerns related to disability and where people with disability can receive medical treatment. It also stresses on the need of a super-specialty-treatment that should be provided through the state resource center. However there is no such health center present in that particular area and it was again totally ignored by the government and the mediators. This is a serious concern as it is going against the prescribed law of the Maharashtra Government.
Looking at the aspect of education, the Maharashtra State Action Plan for the Welfare of Persons with Disabilities (2001) in chapter 3, clause 2, says that “Approximately 500 integrated units in schools will be opened in coming five years in Maharashtra; at the same time the disabled will be encouraged to get involved in integrated schools and appropriate facilities and environment will be created for the same.” It also states that “special schools for severely disabled person will be run only for severely disabled persons with necessary facilities and environment through NGOs in the state as per the requirement.” However there is only one day care center which is operated by APNALYA, but the number of children with special need is very higher, and there is no special or integrated school in the locality. This is also a contradictory step by the government and mediators.
TISS Mumbai has done extensive research in the locality about disability and other issues and has been working with the government in DP through their M-east ward project, but failed to include disability related issues in their mediating plans, which was not expected from such a socially inclusive institute in India. Ms. Chitra Laxman, coordinator of Disability related Programs in APNALYA had said that “there has been various meetings happened in last few months related to disability with TISS Mumbai, but it seems that nothing concrete has come out of the meeting”, Even when there is a center working in the field of disability in this institute.
77 % of population lives in the slum in this locality, with a largest dumping ground as a landmark, prevalence of Multi-Drug resistance T.B, high percentage of disabled population, lowest HDI and the promise from Development plan is of making a recreational Park is like making fun of the condition of the people in the locality of Shivaji Nagar
All the above mentioned statistics shows that if the issues related to disability were not taken and voiced up in the Development Plan now, PWD community will lag behind for more 20 coming years.
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