Saturday, August 11, 2012

The lessors...

It was about 14 years back(in my college days), when I had been to Panjim from Margao and was in the queue to pick up a bus ticket. Its a shuttle service which doesnt have an on board conductor and the tickets need to be taken at the counter. Yes, that does save a lot of money and resources. In that long line waiting to buy the tickets, there was one gentlemen who has a disability in his foot. Considering its a long line, some gentlemen ahead of him in the queue, requested him to skip the line and directly go to the counter. (Apparently there was also another counter for the disabled, but no one was behind the counter). But this gentlemen refused the offer politely and said that he was okay and he was fit enough to be in the line. The other person, did seem a bit embarrassed, though there was not need for him to be, and he was only offering help.   And there I was near the end of the line, only hoping that I could skip the line and get to the front :)

I am sure, we all feel the same when we are in a long queue. But for the person, who has been named as a disabled, not by him but by the society in general due to a lack of something in him, does feel offended by it time and again. He really doesn't want that tag. He wants to be considered as normal like every one else, and though there are facilities like these provided, they want to avoid it.

Then again, its not just the physical or mental disability people who have been treated like this. This kind of behaviour is seen across all the areas. For those who are financially challenged, there is a certain kind of sympathy which is given by the better off people. They try and pay their bills in a dinner meeting or so. Not really trying to put them down, but more so, because they feel they can do something for them. And this too does hurt that league of people, who are at the receiving end.

Then there are other segment of people, who, though dont come in the above mentioned categories, but there is something less in them, which makes them not in line with the 'generic' society terms and conditions.

I am not sure, whether this discrimination is really to put them down, but more so, in a line of sympathy.
Just try and avoid that. There is nothing more hurting than enhancing one's limitations in whichever manner it may be. Just be normal to everyone and if there is something that needs to done for them, do it in anonymity.

My 2 cents ..

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