Use “Divyang” instead of ‘Viklang’ for the physically challenged people
December 2015 “Man ki baat”, Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi proposed the people to start using the term ‘Divyang’ in place of physically challenged people. Avinash shahi – Phd Scholar at Jawahar Lal Nehru University, New Delhi take on this.
As Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi terming dalits as ‘harijan’ sparked off a political and intellectual fervent among the dalits decades ago, similarly the Prime Minister Modi’s new invention ‘divyang’ for addressing the disabled should spur political awakening and intellectual currents among the disabled. This is an opportunity to assert one’s choice independently. Isn’t it ironical that the disabled people have been unquestioningly burdened with multiple collective denominations imposed by the political class and the mainstream media without taking them on board. If Mr Modi really thinks we are ‘divyang’, then what about extending parliamentary entry through Rajya Sabha to the ‘divyangs’ to run the Upper House smoothly and efficiently? What about creating Ministry of ‘divyang’ affairs in 2016? Why delaying the implementation of the 3 per cent reservation in jobs despite the Apex Court’s directions? Mr Modi, merely asking the nation to address the disabled as ‘divyang’ is insufficient. If you really mean what you say, please increase the budgetary allocation for the ‘divyang’ affairs in the forthcoming Budget which was paltry Rs 5000 crore for the year 2014-15. The large number of disabled people are struggling for the bear minimum, and they are still ‘divyang for the Prime Minister, it’s a cruel joke with their lives.‘what’s in a name’, they say.
Divyang at Man ki baat by PM Modi
On sunday in “Man ki baat” the prime minister said “We often address the physically challenged people as handicapped, disable and specially-abled persons. But sometimes when we get introduced to them, we get to know that they are endowed with ‘extra power’ which can’t be seen with bare eyes. Then this idea came to my mind: why don’t we use the term ‘divyang’ (divine body) instead of ‘viklang’ for the physically challenged people?”
“They are endowed with an organ which has divine powers. Normal people like us are not gifted with such powers”.
Also read Say “NO” to “Divyang” – Ajai Srivastava
