Festival does brisk business but disabled persons left uncared for

By Jeijei Newme

IMPHAL | Nov 29

The on-going Manipur Sangai Festival 2017 true to its much hyped reputation is drawing young and old alike from all walks of life. The festival venues have become veritable selfie spot for all visitors. Even in the midst of their final exam, children literally coerce their parents to take them to the festival, and many kids are seen having fun in the annual cultural extravaganza of the state.

Practically every visitor is making the most of it sampling the delicacies on offer at the food plazas or else spending an evening at the cultural events sites. This is also an occasion for them to put on their best dresses and take a leisurely evening walk or else shop for a wide range of consumables on display at the stalls.

From the word go, there has been no let up in the size of the crowd each business day that begins early in the morning till well into dusk. Many even end up skipping meals, engrossed in the festivities or else on shopping sprees.

In the hurly burly of the festival, quite unfortunately not much attention is being paid to the participation of differently abled persons. Few even are sure if any disabled persons have dared to brave the unending sea of humanity thronging the festival venues, much less give a thought about helping them.

In an interview with IFP, president of State Platform of Disabled People Organisation Manipur, Md. Junus Khan said they did not much participate in the festival and had a good reason for being absent from the Sangai festival 2017.

Junus said that the festival is not disabled friendly except at the Lamboi Khongnangkhong venue. We therefore have been forced to shun this much hyped festival this year, he said.

There are no toilet provisions for disabled people, no wheelchair provided and we are mistreated many a times, by the police and common people alike, he complained.

Stall for differently abled people are also not provided this time, he alleged. “I used to participate with my team in previous years but this year we are not given seats,” he lamented.

There are around 800 stalls and out of these at least 40-50 stalls could have been reserved for disabled persons if the government cared about us at all, he said visibly disheartened.

The venues of the Sangai festival in the capital include Hapta Kangjeibung, Lamboi Khonganangkhong and Khuman Lampak, besides other places like Kangla Fort, Dave Literature etc.

Junus also complained that schemes for disabled persons which are set to be distributed for 2016-17 have not been given out yet. The higher officials have been promising to expedite the distribution but they haven’t done so till date and the year is almost over, he pointed out.

Grants which includes financial assistance of Rs.6,000 per month, and unemployment allowance of Rs. 400-900, is still kept frozen for whatever the reason, he said. Organisations grant-in-aid which provides training and skill development is also not given out for the year 2016-17, he added.

The president of the disabled organisation however hoped that the authorities would hear their anguished voices and in the next Sangai festival, they would be given a better deal.

However the previous government did not comply, he added.

The new BJP government led by Chief Minister N. Biren, education minister Th Radheshyam and commissioner Youth Affairs and Sports H. Dileep Singh took up some proactive steps and finally declared the result on November 6 this year, he added.

He declared that his group is confident that the new government is keen to bring quality education to the state and would issue appointment orders without any further delay.