Child disability is, in fact, a serious and challenging
problem of the world. In India approximately one of every ten children is
disabled. Among two crores twenty lakhs declared disabled in the whole
population of the country, 35. 29 percent are children. The same situation
stands at the global level. In the whole world more than sixty five crores people
are disabled and among them approximately 40 percent are children. This state
categorically reveals the seriousness of the problem.
We are perhaps well aware of the chief reasons of
disability –child-disability in particular. In the main reasons for that even
though we can count for improper diet to women during their pregnancies or in
other words their malnutrition; improper looking after of children in their
early age, which includes malnutrition again and sudden accidents, or strikes
of natural calamities. However, all of these reasons are connected in one way
or the other with negligence, recklessness, unconsciousness and lack of
knowledge –illiteracy. There can be a few exceptions to this. Particularly, as
mentioned already, those related to sudden accidents or strikes of natural
calamities. Therefore, we can resolve these challenging problems to a large
extent by imparting proper education –awakening, consciousness and knowledge.
In this regard the utmost need is to realize responsibility by all of us and to
work at social plane in particular that too getting free of prejudices in toto.
In this regard, however, the most important task relates
to the availability of means for nutritive diet in particular. This is, in
fact, the most challenging task. In India more than thirty three percent of the
total population [37, 87, 87, 878 people in number] live under the poverty
line. The daily income of each one of them is below rupees sixty five. The
total number of such ones in the whole world is approximately 5, 60, 00, 00,
000. In such a situation crores of
people are unable to meet two ends meals. Approximately, 22, 000 children die
every day due to lack of food –hunger and malnutrition. This is really
unfortunate –painful, terrible and a matter of serious concern. Child
disability is to a large extent connected to this. Not only this, the problem
of rehabilitation of handicapped children is also connected to it. It is a
compulsion for those wish for proper cares for their children, but they cannot
due to poverty. They are means-less and unprivileged. It is really a spot on
the forehead of the whole of humanity.
In this regard it is the responsibility of the community of
teachers-professors, who are, undoubtedly, more or less, prosperous in these
days, multiplies many fold. For, they should step forward for the awakening
through education on the one hand and discharge their duty to what extent it
may be possible towards the abolishing poverty on the other. All of us must
bear this in our minds that until and unless immeasurable inequality prevails
in the world, poverty, hunger, discrimination and lack of means exist, people
are deprived of opportunities, serious and challenging problem like this will
also subsist. For this we can make efforts and we must do so for sure. Whatever
is gained through efforts made individually and collectively, that will be the
achievement.
Note:
This piece is based on extracts of the speech of Professor Dr. Ravindra Kumar at
a two days national seminar organized on education and rehabilitation of
disabled children by the faculty of education, MJP Rohilkhand University,
Bareilly [India] on March 22, 2013.
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