Y.S. RANA, CHANDIGARH—If there are people who consider disability as “mistake” of God, there are some in the society who consider disabled as the “power”of God and who tirelessly work to rectify the things which God could not do so. Two para legal volunteers (PLVs) came to the rescue to Jitender Das who is 100 per cent disabled and a family of four children to take care. The family lives in a “jhugi” in Sector 48 all huddled on a cot.
When Monsoon in Chandigarh has its own flavor and romance for many that touches all our senses but for Jitender it is a test for his small ‘Jhuggi.’ What is alarming is that soon winter sets in and his children have no clothes to cover themselves.
While talking to Jitender Das said that he was a rickshaw puller in Bihar and earned sufficient to run the family. In 2015 world dashed to ground when he met an accident and shifted to Chandigarh for further treatment at PGI. But he could not revive and could not stand on his feet again. A doctor has provided him a tricycle and a belt. He started begging along with his two year old child in his lap bear the brunt of weather.
His wife has to standby him all the time to move the wheel chair from one side to other side of the light points. One day Mohinder Kour Kataria (PLV) came across him. She enquired about him. He told her about his tale. “I am totally dependent on alms which I get during the day. I approach a number of offices for consideration of my case but put me off,” he said. Always stand for person in distress she has decided to help the family.
Mohinder KourKataria took his case and visited all the offices concerned including social welfare department. She completed his documents and forwarded his case for disabled pension. Smile came on the face of Jitender Das when he was told that a pension of Rs 2000 per month has been sanctioned and debited to his bank account last month. Thankfully things have now improved to some extend for the family.
While talking to Ms Kour stated that she had also taken up the case of admission of his two children in government schools. She met the principal of a government school for admission. Children were refused admission for want of date of birth certificates. She is in process to prepare these certificates and hoped that his two children would soon go to school. Children would be provided education free of cost.
She further said that there were scores of disabled persons living in areas where they do not receive the benefits needed to enable them to overcome their limitations. The individual who becomes permanently physically disabled today find himself in a bewildering world, a new and different world. It is the society that is disabling not the people who are disabled, thinks Ms Kour.