http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/jammu-kashmir/community/refusing-to-rest-on-his-laurels-he-continues-to-work-for-disabled/165856.html

Jammu Kashmir » Community

Posted at: Dec 3 2015 12:21AMINTERNATIONAL DAY OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

Refusing to rest on his laurels, he continues to work for disabled

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Javaid Ahmad Tak’s work came for praise from the PM.

Rifat Mohidin

Srinagar, December 2

Hailing from south Kashmir’s Bijbhehara village, Javaid Ahmad Tak was a normal child 18 years-ago. But on the night of March 21, 1997, when conflict was at its peak in Kashmir, his life changed forever as bullets pierced his spinal cord and made him permanently disabled.

As the world observes the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Javaid remembers the day that changed his vision and made him realise the plight of disabled persons and inspired him to work for their rights.

“I thought I won’t survive. It took me three years to recover so that I could use a wheel chair. My spinal cord was damaged by the bullets,” says Javaid, now 42, who is running an NGO— Humanitarian Welfare Organisation— based in south Kashmir.

Javaid, overlooking his disability, has been trying to advocate the cause of persons with disabilities in Kashmir.

“I used to give free tuitions to underprivileged children in my village as well as encourage people with disabilities to seek their rights because most people are unaware of them,” Javaid said.

After giving free tuitions to the students, he felt the need to help specially-abled children and opened a school ‘Zaiba aapa’, which has 75 students and the first batch has passed Class VIII.

He said nearly two lakh persons in Kashmir have been permanently disabled in the two decades of conflict.

“There are natural disabilities in every part of the world, but in Kashmir, the conflict has added two lakh more to the disability figures. I filed an RTI in 2010 in which I got to know that 900 people suffered permanent disabilities during the summer unrest,” he stated.

The injuries did not stop Javaid’s life. He pursued his dream of getting a Master’s degree in social work and continued to work for people who were suffering like him.

“I really struggled hard to study, it was a difficult dream to pursue. Whatever happened with me, I wanted to help people with disabilities. I have done hundreds of advocacy programmes for differently abled people who continue to be ignored by the government,” he said.

Javaid has received dozens of awards for his work at the national and state level. “After suffering disability, my vision changed. I am really hurt to see how the problems of the disabled person are being ignored. Even if a disabled person is educated and is sitting on a wheel chair, they treat him as a beggar. The disabled people suffer disability as well as social stigma. The world makes sure that every moment they feel they are different from the rest of the world and are not let to lead normal lives,” Javaid claimed, disappointed with the callousness of the government towards the plight of disabled people.

His efforts were acknowledged by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his radio show ‘Mann Ki Baat’ this week. Modi congratulated Javaid for doing the commendable work and said he had become a ‘messiah’ for the disabled people. The PM announced that his devotion would be specially remembered on the occasion of disability day on December 3.

Though the government census puts the figures of disabled persons in Kashmir at 3.6 lakh, Javaid claimed he had identified nearly eight lakh persons with disabilities in Kashmir.

“The figures are much higher than shown by the government. Data collected by my NGO shows the figure is eight lakh,” he claimed.

Javaid believes that the schemes of the government do not reach the needy and there is no infrastructure for the disabled persons in the Valley.

“There is no awareness about the schemes among the disabled persons. The government has been ignoring their plight. They are discouraged and discriminated against. The government talks of schools for disabled but there are no facilities anywhere,” he claimed.

The government has no time to think of rehabilitating disabled persons in the Valley, Javaid added.

http://www.dailyexcelsior.com/govt-fails-to-implement-pension-enhancement-order-for-handicapped/

Govt fails to implement pension enhancement order for handicapped

Posted on 8/12/2015 by Dailyexcelsior

Adil Lateef
SRINAGAR, Dec 7: Over nine months have passed since the Government announced increase in the monthly pension of severe physically challenged persons but the order has not been implemented so far due to “non-availability” of funds.
The State’s Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu had made the announcement in previous budget session of State Assembly on March 25 regarding increase of Rs 600 in the monthly pension of the handicapped. The State Government has been providing social security pension to many underprivileged sections of society and persons with disabilities get Rs 400 per month pension under Integrated Social Security Scheme.
However, the new budget session is approaching but the order has not been implemented, drawing flak from the disabled persons of the State. Sources said that the Finance Department has no funds as of now to pay enhanced pension to the disabled.
As per 2011 census, the State has around 3.6 lakh persons with disabilities. However various researches depict that the State has around 6 lakh persons with disabilities with 1.2 lakh orthopaedic disable persons and around 90000 persons facing mild to severe types of mental illness disabilities, said a prominent disability activist, Javaid Ahmad Tak, whose contributions in upliftment of physically challenged were even hailed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his ‘Mann Ki Baat’ radio programme.
Expressing dismay over the non-implementation of the order, Tak said it depicts the “non-serious” attitude of the Government. “A month ago we met Finance Minister regarding the matter but he told us that they don’t have funds as now. We will release it once the funds would be available,” he said.
The handicapped persons who spoke to Excelsior lamented the Government for non-implementation of the order. “It is ironical that the Government cannot even pay us meager amount of Rs 1,000 per month. We have been already ignored by the government in various sectors. They should release funds on priority basis,” said Abdul Wahid, a handicapped person hailing from Srinagar outskirts. The disabled persons are also demanding that the criteria for getting enhanced pension should be above 40 percent disability instead of 60.
Besides, the severe physically challenged persons also demanded increase in the pension of severe at par with other States of the country. “In many States the social security pension is around Rs 1000 in case of mild to moderate type of disabled people but in case of severe disable people the social security pension amount is Rs 2000 in order to meet various medical and social needs,” said Tak, who runs a middle school for disabled children in south Kashmir’s Bijbehera Township of Anantnag district, adding “in upcoming budget the State should allocate funds for disabled separately.”
Despite repeated attempts, neither Finance Minister nor Minister of State (MoS) Social Welfare could be reached for their comments.
However, Director Social Welfare, Hashmat Ali Yatoo said that the process to implement the order is underway and it would be taken to its logical end soon. “There are certain things which we need to sort out before disbursement of funds. We will not deprive the deserving handicapped persons from their pension and the order would be implemented soon,” he said.