In the Hindu mythology when Rishi Ashtawakra, who had several deformities on his body, entered the ‘sabha’ of Raja Janak, the ministers sitting there started laughing at him. In response he too started laughing. He was asked that people sitting in the sabha were laughing at his disfigured body, but why did he laugh? He replied that he had thought that this sabha is a gathering of wise men. But I am sorry to say, he said that there is hardly any intellect in this gathering. Their insensitivity and poverty of intellect is reflected from their behavior that they judge a person by his appearance not by the qualities he possesses.

This story can be compared to the episode at IIT Kharagpur in which the Prime Minister addressed the meeting of engineering students where a young lady was explaining about an app developed to help the dyslexics. Suddenly, to the astonishment ofevery one the Prime Minister interrupted and said, “Will this help 40- or 50-year-old persons?” Then after a pause he continued “That will make their mother happy!” The IIT should have been wise enough to invite someone who could meet their expectations on science instead of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi because science is not his domain. It is well known that he is poor in knowledge and lacks sensitivities. He has grandiose & megalomaniac behaviour. His mocking at the function has brought to the fore the poverty of thinking specifically in respect to the differently abled persons.

Dyslexia is a learning disorder which can cause problem with reading, writing and spelling. A dyslexic person is not in intellect. He has difficulty in decoding single words like b may be read as d or does may be confused with goes. He makes errors in reading and writing. Because of inconsistencies such persons develop complex in facing new situation and develop anxious behaviour. There are special training facilities for the persons with disabilities which can help to bring them to the main stream of society.

Our society attributes many disabilities to the god’s will or a result of Karmas of the previous life. The term ‘Divyang’ is an outcome of this thinking. This is escaping responsibility to care such persons because once it is will of god we cannot do much about it and be satisfied with it. It is because of this insensitivity which is inherent part of thinking of many of us that the students of IIT who are supposed to be cream of the society clapped when Narendra Modi made fun of dyslexia by making remarks on his political opponent. They only know whether their response was after they understood the intention of the prime Minister or it was a part of behavior that everyone must laugh when the king laughs. But whatever the reason, it showed lack of scientific temper among the students of that level and lack of courage to question the wrong. Making mockery of the disabled person is ethically & morally wrong and socially inappropriate; more so when it comes from the mouth of a person who is custodian of the nation.

Such a behavior from the person of the level of the Prime Minister should have been widely condemned. But barring a few activists and organizations most of the social and medical organization have kept themselves aloof from the issue. Even the medical organizations, the IMA or the organizations involved in caring for such children have not come out in open in large number in protest. This is a worrisome issue reflecting inertia in the society. Disability can befall on any individual or family. So far we do not have any such mechanism to study the genetic structure of the parents and counsel them about parenting to prevent disabilities in the offspring. Even Thalassemia which can be prevented by genetic counseling and advice about marriage is not any issue in our country. Instead we believe in myths and take the advice of horoscopes when it comes to matrimonial matters. There is need for social awareness on such issues. However, in no case, making disability as an issue in election campaign can be condoned. (IPA Service)