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Yadav Jung Chand
Baagchaur 8, Salyan
I feel like many times we are not treated as citizens in this country. It is not only the state but by family and civil society as well. Unless everyone’s perceptions towards persons with disability changes, our life is never going to improve. We do not seek pity. We need understanding of our problems.
Life is not easy for us as it is. The policies of the government has no space for the needs of persons with disabilities. Most importantly, there is no disability friendly infrastructure for us. We are expected to use things that are built for (so called) normal people. How can someone who does not have a leg walk up to the 2nd story of a building. Even some of our government offices are inaccessible for us. How can we put our problems forward when we cannot reach there?
Even houses are built are such. There are no toilets that we can use conveniently. Those in wheelchairs cannot access the toilets and have to depend on other people. Not a single building has an incline so that the wheelchair can go in. Someone has to bring water for us, the taps are difficult to use, some have steps and thus out of reach. If water is not available in the household, reaching the community tap is a near impossible feat.
These are the daily stresses of living with disability and knowing that no concrete measure are being taken by people who have the power to do so is frustrating. I feel that due to these reasons many of us have mental health issues. Many abandon their homes and are made to live on the streets and beg.
I feel like until and unless we are given opportunities of growth and provided with employment based on the skills and qualifications we have, we will have to remain forcefully dependent on our families. It is not easy for them and it is not easy for us. One important solution should be that we must be integrated in local and national politics and our ideologies given space so that we are allowed positions in the government. Only then we ourselves can represent and put forward our problems and solutions that work for us.
But our participation in local and national politics is almost zero and we have to rely on tokenism. When they need our votes they come pleading and promising changes but we all know these promises are hollow and nothing is going to come out of it.
People also should have a shift in their thinking about personas with disability. We are not a curse of nature but a gift. And we breathe the same air, feel the same feeling. Of love, hurt and freedom.
यादव जंग चन्द
बाघचौर-८, सल्यान
नमस्ते मेरो नाम यादव जंग चन्द हो । म पुर्णरुपले दृष्टिविहीन छु।
मलाइ लाग्छ हामी यो देशमा एक नागरिकले पाउनु पर्ने हक अधिकारबाट बन्चित छौँ । यस्मा यो राज्य र नागरिक समाज दोषी छन् । अपङ्गता भएका व्यक्तिहरुप्रतिको दृष्ट्रिकोण परिवर्तन नभएसम्म हाम्रो जीवनमा सुधार कहिल्यै आउँदैन । हामिलाई सहानुभुतीभन्दा समझ्दारीको आवश्यकता छ ।
हाम्रो जीवन यतैकै पनि सजिलो छैन । तीन तहको राज्य सम्रचनामा अपान्गता भयेका व्यक्तिहरुको लागि आवश्यक नीति नियमहरुको लागि ठाउँ दिएको छैन । सबैभन्दा ठूलो कुरा भनेको देशभरी कतै पनि अपाङ्गमैत्री संरचना छैन । अपाङ्गता नभएका व्यक्तिहरुका लागि जे जस्तो बन्यो त्यस्तै नै हामीले प्रयोग गर्नुपर्छ भन्ने सबैको सोच छ । खुट्टा नभएको व्यक्ति २ तल्ल माथि कसरी चढ्छ? कुनै कुनै सरकारी कार्यालय कोठाहरु हाम्रो पहुँचभन्दा बाहिर हुन्छन् । हामी जब त्यहाँ पुग्नै सक्दैनौँ भने हामीले हाम्रा समस्याहरु सम्बन्धित ठाउँमा कसरी पुर्याउने?
घरहरु पनि त्यसरी नै बनेकाछन् । हामीले प्रयोग गर्न सक्ने अपाङ्गमैत्री ट्वाइलेट त परै जावोस्, थोरै सजिलो हुने पनि हुदैन । व्हिलचेयरमा हुनेहरुले प्रयोग गर्न गाह्रो हुन्छ जसका कारण उहाँहरु परनिर्भर हुन बाध्य हुनुहुन्छ । एउटामा पनि मैले व्हिलचेयर जाने र्याम्प देखेको छैन । पानी पनि कसैले ल्याइदिनुपर्छ र खुड्किलाहरु भएकाले धारा पनि सजिलै प्रयोग गर्न सकिन्न । घरमा धारा नभएको खण्डमा त समुदायको धारा पुग्न लगभग असम्भव नै छ ।
यो केही अपाङ्गता भएका व्यक्तिहरुले दिनहुँ भोग्नुपर्ने तनावहरु हुन् । अनि शक्तिमा बसेकाहरुले हाम्रो समस्याहरुको समाधानको लागि कुनै ठोस कदमहरु लिएका छैनन् भन्ने सोच्दा झनै दिक्क लाग्छ । यिनै कारणहरुले गर्दा हामी अपाङ्गता भएका व्यक्तिहरुले ठूलो मानसिक समस्याहरु झेल्न बाध्य हुनु परेको छ । धेरैले घर छाडेर जनुपरेको र गुजरा चलाउन बाटोमा मागेर बस्नु परेको छ।
मलाई लाग्छ जबसम्म हामीलाई समान अवसरहरु दिइँदैन र हाम्रो दक्षता र योग्यताको आधारमा हामीले रोजगारि पाउँदैनौँ तबसम्म हामी परनिर्भर भएर बाच्न बाध्य हुन्छौँ । हामी हाम्रो परिवारमा नै आश्रित हुनुपर्छ । यो हामिलाई पनि सजिलो छैन र उहाँहरुलाई पनि सजिलो छैन । हामीहरुलाई स्थानिय र राष्ट्रिय राजनीतिमा समावेश गरियो भने र हाम्रो सिद्धान्तहरुलाई पनि ठाउँ दिइयो भने हामीले बिभिन्न सरकारी पोस्टमा रहेर काम गर्न पाउने थियौँ । आफ्नो समस्या र यि समस्याको समाधानको कुराहरु आफै नै निर्धारण गर्न पाउने थियौँ ।
स्थानिय र राष्ट्रिय राजनीतिमा हाम्रो समावेशिता न्युन छ र टोकनबाद बढी छ । जब हाम्रो भोट चाहिन्छ हात जोडेर र अनेक झुटो आस्वाशन लिएर आउछन् । अब त हामी सबैलाई थाह भइसक्यो कि यि सबै खोक्रा कुराहरु हुन् र केहि पनि हुनेवाला छैन।
मानिसहरुको सोचमा पनि परिवर्तन हुनु जरुरी छ । हामी प्रकृतिको सराप हैनौँ, हामी त प्रकृतिको सुन्दर देन हो भनेर सबैले बुझ्नु जरुरी छ ।
