LACKING CARE AND DIGNITY

This is in reference to the news report, “Indigo bars specially-abled teenager; Scindia says ‘will investigate’. Sunday’s shocking episode at Ranchi Airport of a special child, accompanied by his parents, being held back for being in a state of ‘panic’ despite fellow passengers’ readiness to fly with the teenager should spur some ground rules. Undoubtedly the episode has once again put the spotlight on the treatment of persons with disabilities in public spaces, including and especially when they seek to travel. In this specific instance, it raises the question of whether the airline staff could have communicated their concerns to the parents earlier, instead of at the last minute and without apparent sensitivity or due process. Guidelines issued by the Director General of Civil Aviation in 2014 say that airlines should “ensure (the) seamless travel” of passengers, including those with disabilities, who have a valid booking. It also raises the question of whether any or sufficient awareness and sensitisation training of its staff, as directed by the guidelines, was conducted by the airlines. The broader question has to do with the right to dignity of persons with disabilities. In October last year, dancer Sudha Chandran had recounted her humiliation when she was forced to remove her prosthetic leg during an airport security check. While the CISF issued an apology, in December 2021, the Supreme Court, in its order in Jeeja Ghosh vs Union of India, said that forcing persons with disabilities to remove their prosthetics and calipers for security checks amounted to violation of their dignity and asked the DGCA to consider the suggestions of the petitioner to make improvements to its rules. Taken together, the Ranchi incident shows that, despite Supreme Court’s directives, the DGCA’S rules and the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, much remains to be done.

— KHOKAN DAS, KOLKATA via email