That Angami Girl!

A little Christmas Nostalgia

noreply@blogger.com (Dee Nakhro) — Tue, 21 Dec 2021 12:49:00 +0000

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: Picture shows a small gift wrapped in brown paper and tied with a jute string, pine branches with bright red berries nestled in them, a small red Santa’s cap and some spices. They are artistically laid out on a wooden background

At this time every year, I always get a little nostalgic thinking of Christmas past as memories of wondrous childhood seasons of carols and cards and trees and family are rekindled.

There was never anything grandiose about Christmas in our home – it was just simple decorations and some lights strung up around the house, a warm little live tree in the corner of the living room, Christmas cards put up every which creative way we could think of, delicious hearty food involving the Christmas pig of course and Mum’s cakes. The Christmas lights would blink out often and the tree would sometimes start shedding midway through causing a lot of stress and grief, but Jim Reeves crooning favourite Christmas songs on our beloved gramophone soothed nerves and made everything alright.

I remember these childhood family Christmases so vividly.

The excitement would start building up early November as we got our Christmas clothes ready. There would be a special outing day when Mum and Dad took us girls shopping to buy our dresses and shiny new shoes – another day was dedicated to the boys for their spiffy new threads. When we were very young, it was identical frocks and coats for us girls. As we grew older, some of us weren’t too happy with being three peas in a pod forever and so different floral prints and colours started to separate us although the styles remained basically identical for a long time!

Official decorating day would be discussed and planned carefully and the decorations located and pulled out beforehand for the untangling and cleaning up process. When the day finally arrived, it was always a blast. There would be much back and forth on where and how to hang the tinsel and colourful glass balls interspersed with loud shrieks as some of these delicate ornaments fell and broke. The hoisting of the big red Christmas star outside would be met with delighted oohs and aahs and plenty of instructions on getting the position just right.

The day Mum baked her Christmas cakes was always a high point of the season. It would be a day bustling with activity as we all tried to ‘lend a hand’ and, believe you me, I was really good at buttering her cake pans. It was just simple butter cakes, nothing elaborate like the stuff they bake these days, but they tasted like heaven and I can still smell the amazing aroma of Mum’s freshly baked cakes wafting through our home. After they were all done, some of them would be wrapped up in pretty red and green cellophane wrappers ready to be gifted to family, friends and neighbours.

Another big event of the season was the day the Christmas pig was slaughtered…..and if Mum had her bake day, this was definitely Dad’s day. It always took place on December 23 and Dad was like an army General taking charge and barking orders to his troops where necessary. He would get everything ready the day before, the people who would help him, the equipment that would be needed and the utensils for cooking and storing – and not to forget the carving knives………they were sharpened to a tee ready for the job.

Dad would hustle his men for a very early start in the morning and the first parts that would reach the kitchen were the offal and the blood for the traditional dish cooked in blood. Mum would prepare this along with the rice and vegetables and chutney and we would all sit down for a scrumptious feast after the hard work of slaughtering the pig and sorting out the meat was done.

On the night before Christmas all the kids in the neighbourhood would go carolling together. It was safe and our parents were never worried about sending us out. They would simply bundle us up in warm clothes and off we would go to visit a few houses where we belted out carols at the top of our voices. Parents would come out and sing along with us and distribute candies or cakes. Oh, what fun it was. We were the happiest kids in the world!

I don’t know how I ever went to sleep on Christmas Eve after the excitement of the carolling and the anticipation of Christmas morn and my brand-new clothes waiting to be worn!

The smells, traditions, friends, the excitement, fun and laughter and family together at Christmastime, they come flooding back so easily at this time of year. Life was simple and good in those faraway days. And it’s as Winnie the Pooh said in his wisdom….”We didn’t realise we were making memories, we just knew we were having fun.”

NOTE: This is an updated version of the piece published in December 2016

Keeping Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Dee Nakhro) — Sat, 22 Dec 2018 09:37:00 +0000

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: Pine cones and bright red Christmas baubles lying on a bed of green pine needles in a clay pot

We are in the thick of Christmas season once again. The trees are up, the lights and stars twinkling in our homes and streets and shops and Christmas songs playing everywhere you go. There’s that bustle of activity in the air with shopping, decorating, wrapping gifts, visiting, baking cakes and cookies, planning get-togethers with family and friends, attending parties and so on. We say Christmas is for children and pretend that we do whatever we do for our children. But, admit it, even as adults we love Christmas. We may complain loudly about the stress of the preparations, but we find ourselves becoming more and more excited as the day draws near and the decorations begin to appear. I also tend to tear up easily this time of year as memories of Christmas past are triggered at every turn.

Christmas season weaves a special magic over everyone. It is the time of year when human beings are at their very best, sharing their love and wealth and gifts with family and friends and even people they've never met. We go out of our way to do nice things for other people, our smiles are a little wider and we laugh a little bit more. The atmosphere is cheerier and happier altogether.

Yes, Christmas is just such a wonderful time……a time of love, goodwill, hope, peace and joy. But why is it that this season makes people happier and kinder and everything so much more hopeful? I think it’s because we remember values of life that we are not really unaware of, but have ignored the whole year through. The focus during Christmas is on ‘giving’. Rather than focussing on ourselves, we become more thoughtful of others. We count our blessings and make a conscious effort to be kind and charitable. We think about the things we can do for others, or gifts we can give to those we love. We make time for them. We pause and take note of all that is good.

Christmas is a time when we do change the way we approach our life and the people in it, don’t we? We live the way we were intended to live. Sadly, once the festivities are over and the decorations come down, we tuck this beautiful Christmas spirit away until we can bring it out again at the end of the next year. When the props of the season disappear from view, our more loving and gentler nature often disappears along with them and we once again become consumed by our own needs and issues.

But the more I ponder upon it, the more I keep thinking how amazing it would be if we can keep the spirit of Christmas and make it a way of life. Anyway, why do we think that the feeling of Christmas has to be relegated to only a limited time in a year? We can make it stay with us every day if we allow it to. It’s not about being in a festive Christmas state of mind for twelve months of the year. It’s about the free flow of love, kindness, generosity, compassion and forgiveness that we open our hearts to at Christmas time. We are filled with the power of being, seeing and doing good. It’s about being less selfish and thinking more about others. That’s the ‘magic’ of Christmas.

To paraphrase David Grayson from his book ‘A Day of Pleasant Bread’, we try to crowd into Christmas the long arrears of kindliness and humanity of the whole year. He goes on to say, “I like to take my Christmas a little at a time, all through the year.” I love that. And the great thing is there’s nothing stopping us from keeping the Christmas ‘magic’ alive all year through. We can choose to heed the better angels of our nature every day of our lives.

Have a blessed Christmas y’all!

May we not ‘spend’ Christmas or ‘observe’ Christmas, but rather ‘keep’ it

- Peter Marshall

My life is disabled by my environment

noreply@blogger.com (Dee Nakhro) — Wed, 12 Dec 2018 06:47:00 +0000

WHY ACCESSIBILITY MATTERS

IMAGE DESCRIPTION

I am sitting on my wheelchair looking up at a long flight of stairs which is the only entrance into the office building of the Directorate of Health and Family Welfare in Nagaland.

So, when was the last time you had to turn back without getting your work done because you couldn’t get into an office building? Or decline an invitation to an event or missed out on a celebration because the venue was inaccessible? Have you ever been unable to go to school, college or go shopping because there was no ramp or a washroom you could use? These are just a few scenarios faced by wheelchair users on a daily basis. There are many, many more – too many to list here.

But we don’t see wheelchair users around or I don’t think we have many people who use wheelchairs, some of you might be thinking. Yes, it’s true that you don’t see too many wheelchairs users going about their business and living their life like any other ordinary citizen in a state like ours. However, it’s a false assumption that we don’t have many people who use wheelchairs.

There are hundreds and thousands of people – children, teenagers, young adults, middle-aged persons and senior citizens – who use wheelchairs due to various reasons. You know why you don’t see many of them out and about? Inaccessibility, inaccessibility and more inaccessibility! Almost all our built environment and public spaces are inaccessible – offices, commercial buildings, restaurants and other recreation places, banks, schools, colleges, even hospitals and clinics – you name it and it’s inaccessible. Wheelchair users and even those who may not use a wheelchair but have reduced mobility, such as senior citizens, face insurmountable obstacles and hence most are literally confined to their homes unable to venture out.

The photo above shows me staring up at a flight of stairs at the Directorate of Health and Family Welfare, the only entrance into the office building. There is no lift or ramp. No, I did not turn back because I had urgent disability health service matters I needed to discuss with the Principal Director and I wasn’t about to leave without meeting him. I have partial mobility and am able to move my legs to a certain extent with some assistance. So I determinedly struggled up the steps with my driver Simon and my personal assistant Bharti holding on to me and pushing and pulling me when necessary. We finally reached the lobby and I plonked down on my chair exhausted…….only to discover that the PD’s office was located on the top floor of the building. And, of course, there is no lift provision inside either so I was forced to tackle another four flights of stairs.

Difficult as it is given the very unfriendly environment, I try to be on the go as much as possible in the hope that this would create more awareness on the need for accessibility and disability in general. I’m completely frustrated most of the time and, everywhere I go, you’ll hear me loudly trying to draw the attention of concerned authorities on the lack of accessibility. I’ve tried to channel this frustration into advocacy for change and it has become a personal mission of sorts. But someone in a wheelchair outside the home doing everyday things that so-called ‘normal’ people do is still a strange sight for many. There’s plenty of the inevitable gawking and I can almost see the thoughts running through their minds wondering what the heck I was doing out in public in a wheelchair. The answer to that is I’m just living my life as anyone else.

Getting around the built environment is something most people take for granted. You need to go somewhere, you just go. It’s not a big deal, right? Well, for a person with disability it’s quite a big deal. As a wheelchair user I have to spend a lot of time preparing for any ‘trip’ outside – first of all, I have to find out whatever I can about the place I need to go to, how accessible or inaccessible it is, then plan how to get into it and whether I would need to take along extra ‘assistants’ to help me. It is often needed and so I would have to make calls and request whoever is free to accompany me. After all, I don’t have an entourage sitting around ready to move with me whenever I have to go out. Too many times I have had to simply give up the thought of going anywhere at all because the barriers were just too great.

Accessibility in the built environment means being able to enter and move around buildings, public spaces, and any other place a person might need to go for work, education, worship, business, services, recreation and so on. In other words, you need accessibility to live a life. If you do not have access to these places and cannot participate in the various activities you essentially do not have a life. You are socially isolated and left without any options or hope for the future.

With Nagaland still practically stuck in the dark ages when it comes to accessibility, what chances do people living with disabilities have? Just think about that. What are their chances in life when they cannot access education or employment? What kind of lived experience will they have when they have no access to any cultural or social life? That sounds bleak and miserable, doesn’t it? But that’s exactly what it’s like for people with disabilities. We are basically shut out of life. My life did not stop with my spinal cord injury. The way I went about it may have changed, but it did not end my desire to live, to explore and experience whatever life has to offer. The only thing that stands in the way is inaccessibility.

Accessibility. Inclusion. We hear these words all the time, but what do they really mean? In fact, we’ve just celebrated the International Day of Persons with Disabilities and we heard many wonderful speeches on the theme “Empowering Persons with Disabilities and ensuring Inclusiveness and Equality”. How about some affirmative action as well? People with disabilities are completely disempowered by the inaccessible environment as it excludes them from society and deprives them of the opportunities that are out there. See the connection? Inclusion and empowerment can happen only when barriers that prevent people with disabilities from participating fully in society are removed.

A loveliness of ladybirds

noreply@blogger.com (Dee Nakhro) — Sun, 25 Nov 2018 19:08:00 +0000

Did you know a group of ladybirds is called a ‘loveliness’?

Yes, that’s right…..a ‘loveliness’ of ladybirds. It turns out that the collective noun for these cute polka-dotted beetles is ‘loveliness’.

I saw a tweet with this fun fact, so I googled it and discovered that it was indeed so.

I didn’t know that. I only knew that having a ladybird brings good luck. If a ladybird lands on you, be careful not to brush it off. Stay very still and count the spots. The number of spots will reveal the number of months you will enjoy good luck. And, of course, you should never ever kill one because that would mean the opposite of good luck – very, very bad luck! Oh yes, that’s what we believed as kids.

But I've never heard of a loveliness of ladybirds…….

Who would have thought? But then again what else would ladybirds be? Loveliness…..that sounds so right.

I love it!

The Disability Vote matters!

noreply@blogger.com (Dee Nakhro) — Mon, 12 Nov 2018 08:17:00 +0000

“Vote as if your life depends on it - because it DOES!” - this was famously said by Justin Dart, the man often considered the father of the Americans with Disabilities Act. This is especially true for People with Disabilities. Every policy decision that impact their lives are influenced by whom we elect - from employment to transportation, to the funding of health programmes and social security, accessibility and so on and so forth. Yet, ironically, majority of People with Disabilities are unable to exercise their fundamental right to vote.

Article 21 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) recognises the right and Article 25 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) guarantees to all citizens ‘the right and the opportunity … without unreasonable restrictions … to vote and to be elected at genuine periodic elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret ballot, guaranteeing the free expression of the will of the electors’. The right to political participation, including of Persons with Disabilities, is also firmly enshrined in the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) as well as the national Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016.

However, one of the most well-articulated rules of international human rights law is also one of the more frequently denied rights for individuals with disabilities. Society is packed with small and large barriers that prevent full participation for People with Disabilities.

In Nagaland, where the level of awareness and understanding of disability rights is very poor and everything disability is pretty much still running on the charity model, it comes as no surprise that there’s not even any real recognition that people living with disabilities are being denied this fundamental right that belongs to every citizen. We had our state general elections not too long ago and, for the first time ever, some encouraging efforts were made by the Election Department to include eligible voters with disabilities. However, many still could not be registered or were unable to vote. Many again may not get the opportunity to cast their ballot in the upcoming national general elections.

The fact that People with Disabilities are invisible is underlined by politicians and political parties who don’t find it useful enough to talk about disability issues in their campaigns and speeches. Courting the disability community is not important for them since they are not ‘vote banks’ like women or youth or senior citizens. As it stands, the lives and issues of People with Disabilities just don’t matter and this is truly depressing given the bleak conditions they exist in.

The disability vote is seen as inconsequential since it is not a big enough block to benefit the political class like other demographics. So, one way to get those who get elected to positions of power to pay more attention to the injustices faced by the disability community is to enhance their participation in the electoral process.

A significant move in recent years is the endeavour of the Election Commission of India to include Persons with Disabilities in the electoral process under the slogan ‘No voter to be left behind’. The first step towards this is registration of eligible voters. We can talk about accessible voting booths and voting machines, transportation for voters with disability, voting from home, entry passes and so on, but all these become moot unless eligible individuals with disability are enrolled as voters.

The state election machinery has been carrying out special enrolment drives from time to time but so far only about 2500 voters with disability are registered in the electoral rolls, which is obviously very low. Many are not enrolled while some may be enrolled but not identified as a voter with disability. There are many reasons for this, such as Booth Level Officers (BLOs) not being trained properly, lack of disability certificates and reluctance of families to acknowledge disability due to stigma attached to it and a false sense of shame. There is also the fact that disabled people themselves are unaware of their rights as equal citizens. Most people living with disabilities consider themselves as third class citizens who are not counted in anything since they have always been treated as such. Then there are those who may not even know that they have a disability.

Intensive training programmes are being carried out for BLOs in all the districts and more enrolment campaigns will be held. BLOs are tasked with updating electoral rolls in their respective areas. However, for registration of the disability vote to see any improvement, it also needs you. Community leaders, men, women, youth and, importantly, the church – you can help identify eligible voters with disability, talk to families and encourage them to enrol.

It’s all too easy to talk ‘nice’ about People with Disabilities and say that you care. People nod their heads, make appropriate noises to express solidarity and emphatically state their support for People with Disabilities and their fight for equality. Some will loudly declare as unacceptable the existing appalling conditions. But we rarely find anyone following through with needed actions in this regard. Here’s something that you can do to empower the voice of the disability community – help in the identification and enrolment of eligible voters with disability in your areas. In the process, you can even help anyone who you feel has a disability and is not aware get in touch with medical professionals to get certified so that they and their families can get the support they need.

BLOs look after only manageable areas with several households in their respective areas. So, this should not be a major operation. If anyone is able to spare a couple of hours or so to confer with the concerned BLO and talk to a family or two, if necessary, it could go a long way towards getting more voters with disability registered in the electoral roll.

One thing I’ve observed is that people love to bring the Bible into play when talking about People with Disabilities. They quote verses and wax eloquent about love and compassion and, of course, almost always sneak in the overused phrase ‘we are all God’s children’. All these ultimately end up as empty sermons that amount to nothing for people living with disabilities. Nothing changes. If the scripture must be referred to, here’s one that I like. It’s from the book of Mark about the paralysed man who came to see Jesus but could not gain access. Seeing this, the people carrying him cut a hole in the roof and lowered him down to the spot where Jesus was teaching. The way I see it, they cared so they took action. They didn’t sit around mouthing platitudes about how sad it all was or how bad they felt. They cut a hole. The disability community does need this kind of proactive caring and support – people who, for instance, will take action to ensure that schools build ramps and accessible toilets and train their teachers when they see children with disabilities unable to go to school because of the lack of disability facilities which, by the way, are mandatory under law.

Can we find people who care enough to cut a hole in the roof if they have to?

NOTE: This piece was published in The Morung Express and Nagaland Post

Going grey and lovin’ it!

noreply@blogger.com (Dee Nakhro) — Mon, 06 Aug 2018 09:50:00 +0000

Grey! When it comes to hair, it’s the dreaded colour, right? Few of us welcome it and we reach for the dye immediately as soon as the silver strands start to appear.

I did that too and I don’t even know why. I’ve never been interested in colouring my hair nor ever had the patience to sit through the process. But when the greys started to show up thick and fast, I turned to the dye answer without question. There you go, that’s classic herd behaviour for you! Most people are doing it so I just went with the flow and did it too.

I kept at it for a few years all the while complaining loudly about how much I hated the dye sittings even as the time between the sittings started getting shorter and shorter. Finally, you can say I came to my senses and got thinking, something I should have done sooner - I certainly don’t enjoy the time spent applying the dye and the ritual that follows and I don’t hate my grey hair, so why in the world am I putting myself through this?

My last colouring session was in October last year. Some time after that I decided I was done with it. I’ve embraced my increasing silver strands and feeling absolutely fabulous. Why shouldn’t I be proud of them? I’ve earned them and I want to show them off!

Yeah, yeah, I get the comments – why don’t you colour your hair, oh my, your greys are really showing or even, isn’t it time to dye your hair? I just tell them I’m letting my beautiful steel greys grow out and I’m loving it.

It’s a personal choice and I understand that not everyone wants to do it. It’s every woman’s right to do whatever the heck they want to do – go for plastic surgery or colour her hair any which way. I respect that and I don’t judge.

But let me tell you, leaving my hair alone has been liberating and it’s kind of fun. I have no idea how my head will finally look like when the pepper disappears and it turns fully salt. Shock of white perhaps? But that’s the adventure and I’m thoroughly enjoying it.

Season of Hope

noreply@blogger.com (Dee Nakhro) — Fri, 30 Mar 2018 12:54:00 +0000

Spring is such a beloved season. It’s called the season of hope and that’s an apt description. It is indeed a hopeful season when everything seems possible.

From the depth of winter new growth emerges and the cold grey turns to bursts of colour. The days get longer and the sun slowly warms the earth. It is a time of renewal and of new life being born. The world comes alive again and with the explosion of blossoms comes a sense of ‘new beginning’.

Spring, in its abundant fullness, uplifts our spirits and gives us hope for renewal in our own lives as well. The season gives us the perfect impetus to embrace a fresh start. How can one not be inspired by the rebirth and changes happening all around us?

Life is beginning again everywhere. There is newness and an atmosphere of excitement. We too can use the energy and power of the season to make a new beginning in our lives!

The day the Lord created hope was probably the same day he created Spring

- Bern Williams

Sharing with you some pictures of my sister Visieno N Talie’s garden which is a riot of colours right now! She is a natural born gardener. I do honestly believe she was born to grow and bring joy to the world!

Kairos is NOW

noreply@blogger.com (Dee Nakhro) — Sat, 24 Mar 2018 10:25:00 +0000

Kairos – I came across this word today and it got me thinking.

According to Wikipedia, Kairos (καιρός) is an Ancient Greek word meaning the right, critical, or opportune moment. The ancient Greeks had two words for time: chronos (χρόνος) and kairos. The former refers to chronological or sequential time, while the latter signifies a proper or opportune time for action.

In the New Testament, ‘kairos’ means ‘the appointed time in the purpose of God’, the time when God acts (e.g. Mark 1:15: the kairos is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand). ‘Kairos’ (used 86 times in the New Testament) refers to an opportune time, a ‘moment’ or a ‘season’ such as ‘harvest time’, whereas ‘chronos’ (used 54 times) refers to a specific amount of time, such as a day or an hour (e.g. Acts 13:18 and 27:9).

We’re all familiar with chronos – seconds pile on to minutes to hours, weeks, days, months and years. Time flies by and one fine day we wake up and wonder where all the years have gone? The grey hair on my head and the wrinkles on my face tell the story of chronos. It’s a visual reminder that I’ve spent over half a century on this earth.

That’s chronos. But what about kairos? Are we seizing our moments? And when is the right moment?

I believe the right moment is always ‘NOW’. The time to take action is now! The time to make a difference is now!

Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for - Barack Obama

The time to get to work is NOW – not tomorrow, not in a week, a month or in a year.

Yes, I can. I know that I can. If I want change, I am the person and the time to act is now.

Kairos, the perfect moment, is always now!

The missing issue of Nagaland Election 2018

noreply@blogger.com (Dee Nakhro) — Wed, 28 Feb 2018 11:10:00 +0000

A young boy taking part in a rally calling for inclusive education on Nov 4, 2017. Hundreds of children with disability came out and pleaded with their government and fellow citizens to hear their voice. Sadly, it appears that the politicians have not heard them

The election campaign circus has been painting the town red with all the usual political dramas, bombastic rhetoric, tired promises we hear every election but which hardly ever see light of day and, of course, the mindless parroting of ‘solution’ ad infinitum by various candidates and leaders of political parties. In fact, one would be forgiven for thinking that general elections in Nagaland have now become about nothing but the Naga issue.

As ‘interesting’ as all that has been, there are other very important issues that some people have been waiting to hear about; issues that literally impact their day-to-day living. And so, with voting day just a couple of days away (Feb 27), let’s take a look at what the politicians and political parties have been saying on disability issues and what their positions and policies are on Disability.

What are they saying? Well, nothing is the short answer.

The grim reality is that People with Disabilities represent the most excluded of all groups in Naga society. They are yet to become visible as equal citizens in our society and, as it stands, they are still completely invisible in politics and to politicians who aspire to be representatives of ‘all the Naga people’. Even as voter demographics of all hues – women, youth, senior citizens, et al – are being thrown into the mix of campaign promises, people with disabilities and disability issues are nowhere to be seen. No big surprise there! Nagas with disabilities are only too used to being ignored and not counted as citizens that matter.

Nagas with Disabilities have heard only deafening silence in the campaign when it comes to their issues and concerns. But have the political parties at least made some policy commitments in their manifestos?

Not to speak of a specific Disability Policy, most parties have barely mentioned People with Disabilities. Apparently, they’re all very concerned about empowering women and youth and making sure that senior citizens and widows and even religious groups get all the support they need, but People with Disabilities who are the most marginalised are not significant enough to get on their radar.

To their credit, NDPP and BJP have included a separate Disability Policy in their manifestos. The ‘Disability Policy of NDPP’ says ‘The Party recognises that differently-abled/specially abled people face discrimination, prejudice and social exclusion’. NDPP states that it is, therefore, ‘committed to realising the full promise of The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill 2016’. It says it will work for equal opportunities at Work, access to Education and to Health Services, develop accessible environments and reform disability benefits.

One key aspect for the disability community is The Disability Act 2016. Even as People with Disabilities continue to be ignored and their rights as equal citizens grossly violated in the state, Nagaland is yet to make a move towards implementation of the new Disability Act which it was required to do within six months of the Act becoming law in April 2017. The pleas of the disability community have gone unheard so far.

There was no response from NDPP to repeated messages asking whether the party was truly committed to the full implementation of the Disability Act if it comes to power.

The BJP, in a section termed ‘Differently-Abled Citizens’, says it ‘follows an all-inclusive policy to take the society and country forward’. Mentioning some provisions of the Disability Act 2016 and various schemes and programmes of the central govt, it has stated that all ‘benefits’ will be implemented ‘for the differently-abled sections of the state to ensure their security for a complete life’

BJP president Visasolie Lhoungu said his party and the NDPP-BJP alliance is fully committed to the implementation of the Disability Act 2016.

The other major party, NPF, has no specific disability policy. A vague mention comes in the Social Security Concerns: “Poverty alleviation and improving the quality of life for poor and differently abled people is an important aspect of socio-economic development in the State”. Under Education, it says it will set up an ‘Institution for Training of differently abled in Music, Sports and Business Sector’.

It’s great that they are promising a training centre, but since they are the party that had been in power, it has to be reminded that two disability projects – Blind School & Vocational Training Centre for the Disabled and the Composite Regional Centre (CRC) at Dimapur – remain unfinished and, in fact, were removed from the NEC priority list last year despite the urging of the disability community.

When contacted on its position on disability and whether it is ready to commit to full implementation of the Disability Act 2016 should the party come to power again, NPF said its president Shürhozelie and chief ministerial candidate TR Zeliang were ‘terribly engaged’ and will be able to respond only after the elections.

NPP, INC and JD (U) have also not mentioned People with Disabilities at all in their commitments. NPP did not respond back to the queries while JD (U) could not be contacted for comment.

INC said it is a regrettable oversight on their part that they have not included a Disability Policy. Its spokesperson Capt GK Zhimomi said the party is definitely aware of the issue and will uphold and support full implementation of the Disability Act in letter and spirit.

All the parties had plenty to say on Education in their manifestos – revamping the department, upgrading infrastructure, smart classrooms, transparent teacher recruitment, provision of quality facilities and amenities, etc. They have made lofty promises to set up medical schools, engineering colleges, law colleges and other technical institutes. But not one has made any mention of accessible schools and classrooms or education that includes children with disabilities.

Majority of children with disabilities in Nagaland cannot attend school or get a full and proper education. Many of them will probably never enter a classroom. And it's not because they can't learn or don't want to be at school. They are kept out because of the numerous barriers they face - inaccessible environments and learning materials, lack of facilities, lack of trained teachers, and so on and so forth.

On November 4 last year, hundreds of children with disabilities and their well wishers took out a rally calling for inclusive education. We’re not asking for special privileges, we just want to get an education like everybody else, they said, and begged their government and the people to hear their voice. Sadly, it appears the politicians have not heard them

NB: A version of this piece was published in the local papers on Feb 25 – Morung Express and Nagaland Post

Science Day: A golden opportunity lost!

noreply@blogger.com (Dee Nakhro) — Sun, 05 Mar 2017 09:37:00 +0000

A Star Wars themed bionic arm. Credit: Open Bionics

National Science Day was observed on February 28 last. The day is celebrated each year to mark the discovery of the Raman Effect by Indian physicist Sir Chandrashekhara Venkata Raman on 28 February 1928. For his discovery, CV Raman was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930.

The day is marked by various activities in schools and colleges as well as national and state science institutions which include talks, exhibitions, debates, quiz competitions, live projects by students and so on. Big focus is put on schools as a major aim of the celebration is to encourage children in the field of science by highlighting the marvels of science as well as its impact on daily life.

A theme is assigned to the celebration each year so that the activities can focus on a common issue and consolidate action. The theme for this year was 'Science and Technology for Specially-Abled Persons’. In essence, the thrust this year was on the use of science and assistive technology in the lives of people with disabilities and how these various technologies can improve their quality of life. It was meant to encourage awareness, innovation and reach of accessibility solutions to the millions of people with disabilities in the country and around the world.

So, how did the Nagaland schools celebrate the day? As per newspaper reports, it was just another science day observation with activities centred on every other use and advancement of science and technology except those related to disability. Special programmes, talks, exhibitions and video shows were held in many schools and institutions, but as far as I could observe, the impact of science and technology in the lives of people with disability did not make it into any of these activities. In fact, the only times that disability was mentioned in any way at all was when the theme was mentioned!

According to reports, videos shown in some of the programmes included ‘Life in International Space Station’ and ‘Ill-effect of Global-Warming’. Talks were on Earth-like Planets discovered by NASA and 104 Satellites launched by ISRO and, of course, about the importance of fostering a scientific temper. A school is said to have enacted a skit on the theme ‘This is my story….when a Smart Phone came’ – I wonder whether they touched on the features and apps that have helped people with visual impairment immeasurably or the touch-free smartphones that have changed the lives of people who cannot use their hands or arms.

For years, people with disabilities had to rely on somebody else doing things for them. But while it may have sounded nothing more than science fiction a few decades ago, today science and technology is transforming lives of people with disabilities in unimaginable ways. They can now do things once thought impossible - from switching on a light to reading to getting a voice to express themselves. There are numerous apps and gadgets these days that aid people with disabilities and enhance their quality of life. All these because of innovative science!

Thanks to advances in microelectronics, hydraulics, and motors, nearly every amputee can today achieve goals and accomplish feats that were not possible at the turn of the century. A new generation of prosthetic devices are also allowing people to control them with their thoughts. From self-balancing and stair climbing wheelchairs to cars which replace driver’s seat with wheelchair, science, technology and innovative minds have done it all.

By the way, did you know that the stair-climbing wheelchair, the Scalevo Wheelchair, is the brainchild of 10 Zurich students at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) and industrial design at the Zurich University of the Arts? This is how the wheelchair works: when the wheelchair operator is faced with stairs, he simply has to press a button to release rubber tracks that work on most staircases, including ones that are uneven, cracked, and even spiral. The wheelchair ascends the stairs backwards, but has a video camera that allows the driver to see what's going on behind him, like a reverse parking camera in a car. Using this technology, the driver is able to climb one stair per second.

There’s a great video on this stair-climbing wheelchair and many others related to disability technology and inventions. I wish they had been shown to students. It would have gone a long way in exciting their minds to the possibilities of science in the everyday life of ordinary people. It makes science real!

The Scalevo Wheelchair

Then there are the amazing inventions that are helping people with visual disability – such as shoes that guide you in the right direction, glasses that help the colour blind see colour, a bionic eye, an app that points out who and what’s around you, and the one that brings a Brailler to your tablet, etc.

One of the main impacts of hearing loss is on the individual’s ability to communicate with others, since spoken language development is often delayed in children with deafness. Limited access to services and exclusion from communication can have a significant impact on everyday life, causing feelings of loneliness, isolation and frustration, particularly among older people with hearing loss. Advances in technology have gone a long way in improving the quality of life for those who are deaf or hard of hearing.

One such innovation is the Solar Ear. More than half of the 360 million people worldwide with a disabling hearing loss live in low- to- middle-income countries. Current production levels of hearing aids meets less than 10% of the global need, and the cost of hearing aids and batteries has often been beyond the reach of the poor. Solar Ear is a solar-powered hearing aid battery that costs a fraction of what traditional batteries cost, and lasts for 2-3 years (rather than one week). (Forbes)

Then there’s the Live-Time Closed Captioning System which instantly turns speech into scrolling text displaying on a tiny screen clipped to a pair of glasses. The system is being developed by a team of high school students for people who are deaf and the teen inventors say it “restores the user's ability to engage in a naturally flowing conversation.” Yes, that’s what I said – high school students. When the project started, the creator Daniil Frants was 17. His VP of Frants Innovators, Inc., Ilan Pesselev, was 14. The rest of his team were 18 and under. Most of them attend the same Manhattan high school.

These are but a few examples of unbelievable innovation and revolutionary technology that are transforming the lives of millions of people with disabilities positively around the world. But many of these are either unavailable to us or cannot be used in our environment or simply unaffordable. If only the Science Day had been used to highlight some of the amazing game-changing technologies with accompanying talks that challenged young Naga minds to come up with inventions that could potentially change the lives of thousands of people living with disabilities in our state!

This would have achieved two things – created some much needed awareness on disability in general and sparked young minds to think about solutions to real-world problems, which in my book is real education.

Sadly, a golden opportunity was lost!

With love from the ‘ABNORMAL’ icon!

noreply@blogger.com (Dee Nakhro) — Fri, 10 Feb 2017 10:03:00 +0000

I was recently asked to be an ambassador for the rights of voters with disability in Nagaland. When I was approached I suggested that a young person would perhaps serve the role better. But after some discussion, I accepted the offer as I felt that it was a great opportunity to educate and create some much-needed awareness on disability.

Anyway, on National Voters Day on January 25^th last month I attended my first event as an ‘icon’, as the ambassadors are called, where I got a few minutes to say my piece. Apparently it was the first programme involving the ambassadors in this cycle since there was a round of complicated introductions by an official. I found out that two of us had been appointed as State Election Icons along with several other District Icons.

The official began the introductions with a brief explanation of the role of the icons. Then he went on to the categories and said that this time around two State Icons had been appointed. “One is normal,” he said, “and the other is……” He trailed off mumbling some unintelligible words. He appeared to have caught himself before he actually uttered the word, but it was clear what he was saying – one is ‘normal’ while the other is ‘abnormal’.

No, I was not shocked because this is the kind of mindset that we’re still living with – I have a disability, I’m in a wheelchair, I’m different and therefore I’m ‘abnormal’. It’s a mindset that says that people with disabilities are a different species of humans incapable of doing what ‘normal’ people do. Because I have a disability I am considered incapable of functioning in an ‘able’ world, incapable of socialising, incapable of actually living a real life. Because I have a disability, I am supposed to be an asexual being incapable of experiencing emotions and feelings as ‘normal’ people do.

Even in this day and age, the dominant prevailing attitude in Naga society is that individuals with disability are ‘abnormal’ and incapable of participating in or contributing to society. They are perceived as deserving only of one’s pity and charity.

Whenever I meet anyone, you can be sure that more often than not I’m greeted with words like – “Oh so sad, you must be really suffering”, “You poor thing”, or “What a struggle it must be for you”………or something of that sort. Just because my journey is different, I’m considered an object of pity. I know that most people mean well, but let me tell you that it does not make it less annoying to constantly hear people commiserating with your supposedly woeful situation.

So, let me put it straight for everyone’s information - No, I’m not living in a perpetual state of suffering. I have my ups and downs health-wise and mood-wise like ‘normal’ people. That’s it, nothing more, nothing less. Yes, there are some things that you ‘normal’ people do that I can’t do, but I’ve improvised, learned to do them differently and have overcome them quite handily, so believe me, my life is not a constant struggle to survive. In fact, the challenges have made me a stronger and smarter person since I had to figure out how to get around them. You should be so lucky!

You can also rest assured that I’m not sitting around in a great big depression wallowing in self pity and cursing my misfortune. Certainly, the appalling conditions in our state do not make things easy, but don’t worry, I may be ‘abnormal’ to you but I live a ‘normal’ life. I’m independent, I earn my own living doing work that I love and I live an active life and do my own thing just as you ‘normal’ people do. I travel and I also party and have fun. OMG, a disabled person socialising and enjoying herself! Unbelievable, right? I bet I can out-party the heck out of any of you!

Surprise, surprise – I have a disability but my life does not suck. I feel great to be alive; I’m happy and I love my ‘abnormal’ life. So, bottom line - don’t waste your pity on me!

Now that is not to say that I’m not grateful to all those trying to be supportive. I understand that you’re doing it the best way you know how and I do appreciate it. I’m just saying that pity is not the way to go about it. Of course, I need and want help sometimes and most times I just wish someone would give a real damn about the real issues faced by people with disabilities in our state. But pity? Nope.

If you really want to help and support, may I suggest the following? Talk to people living with disabilities and get to know them, find out the problems and difficulties they face. I’m going to bet that in most cases you’re going to discover that their disabilities are not the real problems; instead the real problems they face are the barriers all around them, be it physical or attitudinal. Indeed, we certainly have some functional limitations due to our disabilities but that does not disable us; we are able but ultimately we are disabled by the inaccessible environment and poor attitudes that surround us.

Support us by standing with us in our fight for equal opportunity and treatment. Educate yourself and educate others on disability and help us change the way our society views and deals with disabilities as a whole. That is the best support you can give us!

Yes, I bawled too!

noreply@blogger.com (Dee Nakhro) — Fri, 13 Jan 2017 08:08:00 +0000

Did you watch President Barack Obama’s stirring valedictory speech which he delivered in his hometown Chicago? I did. By the end, he was wiping away tears………..and, well, I was bawling too.

Now I know some of you must find that a little silly, like why was she crying over an American president’s speech? Well, I’m sure even his worst critics will admit that he’s a natural and powerful orator with this unique ability to connect with his audience and excite them with energy. He connects with me anyway. Every time I hear him speak, I am reminded of all that is good and hopeful and change that is possible.

Over the past eight years, the outgoing first African American President has delivered many speeches that were eloquent and heartfelt, including the healing speeches after the many horrific incidents of mass shootings and other sad events that have marred his country. And in his nostalgic and sometimes emotional final address to his nation, the President stood unapologetic after eight tough years, an unrepentant champion of hope and change. He argued passionately for progressive change and teared up when he paid tribute to his wife Michelle and his daughters Malia and Sasha.

Coming full circle, Mr Obama wrapped up by recalling his 2007 campaign launching address – "For now, whether you're young or young at heart, I do have one final ask of you as your President - the same thing I asked when you took a chance on me eight years ago. I am asking you to believe. Not in my ability to bring about change - but in yours.”

It was an inspiring speech and, guess what, I found many lines speaking directly to us too. My main takeaways from the Obama farewell speech are:

1. But remember, none of this (change and rebuilding) happens on its own. All of this depends on our participation; on each of us accepting the responsibility of citizenship, regardless of which way the pendulum of power happens to be swinging.

2. When we write off the whole system as inevitably corrupt. And when we sit back and blame the leaders we elect without examining our own role in electing them.

3. It falls to each of us to be those anxious, jealous guardians of our democracy. Embrace the joyous task we have been given to continually try to improve this great nation of ours because, for all our outward differences, we in fact all share the same proud type, the most important office in a democracy, citizen.

4. So, you see, that’s what our democracy demands. It needs you. Not just when there’s an election, not just when your own narrow interest is at stake, but over the full span of a lifetime.

5. If you’re tired of arguing with strangers on the Internet, try talking with one of them in real life.

6. If something needs fixing, then lace up your shoes and do some organising.

7. If you’re disappointed by your elected officials, grab a clip board, get some signatures, and run for office yourself.

8. Show up, dive in, stay at it. Sometimes you’ll win, sometimes you’ll lose. Presuming a reservoir in goodness, that can be a risk. And there will be times when the process will disappoint you. But…..more often than not, your faith………..will be confirmed.

Hmmmmm, we want change, right?

Memories are made of these

noreply@blogger.com (Dee Nakhro) — Tue, 27 Dec 2016 08:03:00 +0000

There’s a quote that goes - “Good days give happiness, bad days give experience, worst days give lessons, and best days give memories”. I couldn’t agree more that the best days give beautiful memories.

At this time every year, I always get a little nostalgic thinking of Christmas past as memories of wondrous childhood seasons of carols and cards and trees and family are rekindled. December opened the door to this magical other world of joyous anticipation, imagination and excitement and it was my favourite time of the year.

I remember these childhood family Christmases so vividly.

The excitement would start building up early November as we got our Christmas clothes ready. There would be a special outing day when Mum and Dad took us shopping to buy our dresses and shiny new shoes – another day was dedicated to the boys for their spiffy new threads. There were seven of us, imagine that! Now that I’m a parent myself (of one single son), I realise how much work it must have been for them and I really don’t know how they even managed.

When we were very young, it was identical frocks and coats for us girls. As we grew older, some of us weren’t too happy with being three peas in a pod forever and so different floral prints and colours started to separate us although the styles remained basically identical for a long time!

The day Mum baked her Christmas cakes was always a high point of the season. It would be a day bustling with activity as we all tried to ‘lend a hand’ and, believe me, I was really good at buttering her cake pans. It was just simple butter cakes, nothing elaborate like the stuff they bake these days, but they tasted like heaven and I can still smell the amazing aroma of Mum’s freshly baked cakes wafting through the house. After they were all done, some of them would be wrapped up in pretty red and green wrappers ready to be gifted to family, friends and neighbours.

Another big event of the season was the day the Christmas pig was slaughtered…..and if Mum had her cake baking day, this was definitely Dad’s day. It always took place on December 23 and Dad was like an army General taking charge and barking orders to his troops where necessary. He would get everything ready the day before, the people who would help him, the equipment that would be needed and the utensils for cooking and storing – and not to forget the carving knives………they were sharpened to a tee ready for the job.

Dad would hustle his men for a very early start in the morning and the first parts that would reach the kitchen were the innards and the blood for the traditional dish of pig innards cooked in blood. Mum would prepare this along with the rice and vegetables and chutney and after the hard work of slaughtering the pig and sorting out the meat was done, we would all sit down for a scrumptious feast.

I don’t know how I ever went to sleep on Christmas Eve after the excitement of the carolling round and the anticipation of Christmas morn and my brand new clothes waiting to be worn!

Times have changed, of course, as it should and it will. I’m just thankful that I have these beautiful happy childhood memories to cherish and build on with my own son. The best things in life are the people we love and the moments and times that make memories along the way.

Open letter to the Chief Minister

noreply@blogger.com (Dee Nakhro) — Sat, 03 Dec 2016 09:41:00 +0000

Dear Mr Chief Minister,

With repeated attempts by Persons with Disability representatives for an appointment running into the proverbial brick wall time and again, I am compelled to write this letter.

Mr Chief Minister, our understanding of our government is that it is a government of the people, by the people and for the people. I believe this essentially means that the government has come to power via the votes of the people, that the people who voted them to power have a say in what the government does or doesn’t do and that the government exists to better the lives of its citizens – all its citizens and not only the privileged class or a chosen few. As you are the head of our government right now, our desire to meet you was simply to apprise you of the appalling conditions in our State that continue to marginalise and discriminate people living with disability and deprive them of their rights, in the hope that you will hear our voice and take steps to right the wrong that has been perpetuated by consecutive state governments.

However, since you apparently cannot make the time to meet us, on this day – the United Nations International Day of Persons with Disability – I write this open letter to you on behalf of all people living with disability in Nagaland.

The theme for this year’s International Day is “Achieving 17 Goals for the Future We Want”. This theme notes the recent adoption of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the role of these goals in building a more inclusive and equitable world for persons with disabilities.

So, let’s take a look at Nagaland. I’m assuming that you’re aware that the number of people with various disabilities in Nagaland as per Census 2011 was 29, 631, around 1.5% of the total population. This figure was an underestimation, in my opinion, and the actual number would have been much higher. In any case, this was the official number – 29,631 people with disabilities in Nagaland, 26% of whom were younger than 18 years. And it may be pointed out here that this is the one and only data on disability available in Nagaland. By now, the number would have increased considerably.

I’m also assuming that you’re aware that the country's first ever legislation that laid the foundation for equal rights of people with disability came into being over 20 years ago with the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act 1995 which came into force on February 7, 1996. Furthermore, in October 2007, India ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) 2006. You may or may not know, but the process of getting a stronger disability rights legislation based on the UN Convention has been underway and a new bill is currently awaiting passage by Parliament which we are hoping will happen in this winter session.

So, 20 years have passed since the passing of the PwD Act 1995. How has it benefited people with disability in Nagaland?

JUST CONSIDER THESE:

* 20 years and Nagaland still does not have a State Disability Policy in place

* Two crucial committees for ensuring implementation of the PwD Act (Chapter III Section 13 and 19) – State Co-ordination Committee (SCC) and State Executive Committee (SEC) – have not been constituted and government officials are not even aware of the mandatory provision

* Nagaland is the only state in the country that does not have even a single proper medical or social rehabilitation service facility for persons with disability

* There is not even a single facility for those with severe disabilities or those needing special care

* Only about 5.17% of persons with disability in Nagaland have a disability certificate, the lowest in the whole of North East region. Many of these also contain wrong or incomplete information.

* Social Security pension for the neediest is also in a pathetic state. Only 1833 PwDs out of the 29,631 (Census 2011), as per Social Welfare Dept information, are availing disability pension. The amount being given, Rs 200/-, is again among the lowest in the entire country.

* Public buildings and public spaces are yet to be made accessible to PwDs – these include office buildings, educational institutions, hospitals and clinics, marketplaces, churches, etc.

The annual International Day theme provides a frame for considering how people with disability are marginalised and excluded from society by assessing the existing conditions and promoting the removal of all types of barriers. This glimpse of the bleak reality in Nagaland completes the ‘assessing’ part. It would actually be funny if it was not so terribly sad! The above are just some main aspects of the PwD Act 1995 which our government is barely aware of much less implement. In Nagaland, the observation of the day has done nothing to improve the quality of life of people with disability. It is just a wonderful annual event where politicians, bureaucrats and other public leaders get the opportunity to show off their pseudo concern and compassion with stirring speeches peppered with patronising platitudes.

And then, Mr Chief Minister, there is the matter of the STATE BUDGET. The now dissolved Planning Commission had earlier specified three percent budget allocation for disability and identified 20 ministries to mandatorily have a disability component in their budget. However, this has never been reflected in the Nagaland State Government budgets. In fact, one would be hard pressed to find any mention of disability, not to speak of any specific funds being allocated to ensure that disabled people are not deprived and left behind in the development process, as expressly laid down in the PwD Act 1995. And, of course, no department has any disaggregated data on disability or any kind of disability component in their annual budgets.

By the way, the Supreme Court had recently pulled up some states and Union Territories for not filing the status report with regard to implementation of its verdict and the legal scheme to grant of reservation to disabled people and asked them to furnish the same within two weeks. We do not know whether Nagaland has filed its status report, but we would certainly like to know the status of steps taken to implement the SC verdict. The verdict, as you must know, is with regard to implementation of the specific provision of three per cent quota in jobs to persons with disability.

Mr Chief Minister, I could go on and on, but it would be presumptuous on my part to expect the papers to grant me that much space. But before I end, there are a couple of SPECIFIC ISSUES that I must strongly urge upon you. As mentioned above, one aspect that particularly puts our State to shame is the complete lack of Disability Rehabilitation services. Nagaland has the dubious honour of being the only state in the country without a single proper rehabilitation service centre – medical, social or vocational. I am certain that I don’t have to remind you that rehabilitation is instrumental in enabling people with disabilities, whose functions are limited, to live independently, and participate in education, the labour market and civic life.

In this connection, we have learned of two very crucial projects being taken up by the Social Welfare Department, Nagaland:

1. Composite Regional Centre (CRC) at Dimapur - project put up for inclusion in the State NEC Priority List 2016-17

2. Blind School and Vocational Training Centre for the Disabled - project is under the 13^th Finance Commission for which funds were released till the 3^rd Phase and completed. 4^th Phase is to be taken up under NEC project during 2016-17.

As regards the Composite Regional Centre, it is our understanding that the NEC Priority List has already been sent by the State Government and it does not include the project. Instead, we learn that an NGO ‘Disability Park’ project has been put in its place. This is just another shocking example of the government’s utter apathy towards people with disability and complete lack of understanding of the priority needs of disabled people. The ‘Disability Park’ being listed as a priority project over the Regional Centre is a mind-boggling move by the government in the face of the prevailing situation of extreme lack of disability services and programmes in the state. Right now, we don’t need a stroll in the park – we need accessible education, training, rehabilitation and health services and so on, so that we can live, earn and participate in society with dignity as equal citizens.

Mr Chief Minister, through this open letter, I strongly urge the State Government not to let us down again by going through with this travesty. There is only so much that we can take!

On the Blind School and Vocational Training Centre, we appreciate the pro-activeness of the Secretary and officials of the Social Welfare Dept in taking the project forward. It may be mentioned that, once operational, this will be the first and only state-run institute for people with disability in Nagaland. The project is completed up to the third phase, but funding for the fourth and last phase has ceased with the closing of the 13^th FC. It goes without saying that it is now incumbent upon the state government to ensure its completion.

Mr Chief Minister, I wish to let you know that the disabled community of Nagaland is waiting for this desperately needed institute to start functioning and be not mistaken that we are taking this as a crucial test of your government’s sincerity to deliver on the promises that have been made to us time and again – especially on Disability Day every year.

The above is just a brief overview of the situation of extreme exclusion, neglect and indignity that exists in this beloved state that we call home. A national report on disability has stated that even among the North East states where rehabilitation and disability services and programmes are generally quite inadequate, the situation in Nagaland is ‘especially critical’. Mr Chief Minister, I write this letter to you today because I have faith that, as head of the Government of the day and an honourable leader of the Naga people, you will personally not permit this unacceptable situation to continue.

‘The Future we want’ is an inclusive Nagaland that does not leave us behind; a Nagaland that enables us to realise our full potential as equal and valued members of society; a Nagaland where we can participate in and benefit equitably from everyday life, everywhere; a sustainable Nagaland that embraces humanity in all its diversity. It is not impossible to get there, Mr Chief Minister - all that is needed is political will and a strong commitment to do the right thing.

Diethono Nakhro

Executive Director

CAN-Nagaland and

Member, National Committee on the Rights of PwD

This letter was published in all the local newspapers today, 3^rd December 2016

Time for the Church to step up!

noreply@blogger.com (Dee Nakhro) — Fri, 18 Nov 2016 20:35:00 +0000

The Ao Baptist Church Diphupar, one of the very few churches in Nagaland with ramp access into the building

The Baptist Church of Nagaland has designated the third Sunday of November every year as PwD (Persons with Disability) Sunday, a day for churches and fellowships to focus on celebrating the abilities and involvement of disabled people. This year it falls on the coming Sunday – November 20.

The Nagaland Baptist Church Council has taken a very important step towards building an inclusive church by setting up a Disability Commission to guide its churches. I believe this is a watershed moment in the Nagaland Christian disability movement.

The Church is an integral part of the social order and thus it has a huge social responsibility. In our Naga context especially, the church plays such a central role in the lives of the people and so it has a much bigger responsibility to lead the way for our society in standing up against social injustices and to show what a human community ought to be and then to expect a better society to come. And for this to happen, the church must be socially involved through practical social action, not only words.

According to Census 2011, there are 29,631 people with various disabilities in Nagaland. This figure is underreported, in my opinion, and the actual number would be much higher. In any case, this is the official number – 29,631 people with disability in Nagaland. Here’s a question I always ask - how many of these people with disabilities do you encounter in your everyday life – in the streets, markets, schools, playgrounds, offices, churches, public events or in family celebrations?

I think your answer would be ‘rarely’ or even ‘never’. This is because they are Nagaland’s forgotten people. This large group of people in our State continues to live on the fringes of our society completely deprived of their rights and dignity and facing exclusion and discrimination from society as a whole.

We need look at the aspect of physical accessibility alone and the scenario in the State becomes clear. People with disability find themselves shut out - shut out of buildings, offices, homes, schools, hospitals, businesses, CHURCHES, sports and community groups and activities. They find themselves shut out of our way of life.

Like the rest of society, the Church in Nagaland too has thus far forgotten the people who may look different or act differently from what is seen as ‘normal’. Where are the people with disability? They are certainly not sitting in church. They are not among the congregation listening to the word of God, singing and praying along with other fellow worshippers. Children with disabilities are not taking part in Sunday School activities, listening to Bible stories or playing and having fun with their friends.

Speaking only of the physical building, among the thousands of churches in the State, all denominations, only a countable few have any kind of enabling environment that beckons and welcomes people with disability. Lack of accessibility and unfriendly spaces excludes disabled people from the life of the church.

We like to think of our churches as places where all are welcome. Take a look at your church building. Does it have barriers that you do not notice because you’re so accustomed to the way things are? Can a person with mobility disability enter your church and sit among the congregation and worship with dignity? Many people with disabilities never go to church because they either cannot get there or they cannot get in.

However, though churches certainly have a legal and social responsibility to ensure that their buildings are safe and accessible, inclusion for those living with disabilities goes far beyond installing ramps and accessible toilets. Many do not feel welcome at church because they cannot hear the message. Others cannot participate because they cannot read. Some have difficulty following the unwritten rules. Others simply cannot sit quiet and still for an hour or more. Some cannot understand what is happening.

Now, there is no question that people with disabilities face huge barriers in the form of physical obstacles in buildings and public spaces. But architectural barriers are often relatively easy to surmount with some creative problem-solving. The most difficult barriers to overcome are attitudes other people carry regarding people with disability. Whether born from ignorance, fear or misunderstanding, these attitudes keep people from appreciating and experiencing the full potential of a person with a disability. The most pervasive negative attitude is focusing on a person's disability rather than on an individual's abilities. And this is the attitude that rules Naga society.

The worldly culture is highly intolerant of what is perceived as physical and mental imperfection. Is the Church simply going to flow along with this culture or is it ready to step up as a change agent in society? Disabled people deal with societal patronisation and pseudo-compassion on a daily basis, but the worst is being marginalised by your own church. This rejection hurts the most!

There is much that the Church can do to change attitudes and perceptions, educate the masses on inclusion and acceptance and encouraging people with disabilities in their gifts and abilities. It can create communities where all people, whether they’re alike or not alike, can be found worshipping together, working together, playing together and building relationships. To borrow from David W. Anderson’s ‘A Forgotten Barrier: Attitudes toward Disability’, this will allow the Church to assume its rightful position in shaping culture, and to become a visible expression of God’s love for all humanity through constructive protest against the social conditions faced by men and women with disabilities.

The Nagaland Church must lead the movement away from ignorance, insensitivity, and indifference toward acceptance and reconciliation, actively seeking to remove barriers which exclude disabled persons from all aspects of society. It has the opportunity and capacity to transform the lives of thousands of people with disabilities, their families and carers.

It’s time for the Church to step up!

Who exactly is governing?

noreply@blogger.com (Dee Nakhro) — Mon, 26 Sep 2016 08:18:00 +0000

I’m sure most of you have seen the above news clip which appeared in the local dailies on September 22.

So, are we to take it that the democratically elected Nagaland State Government and its administrative machinery are now defunct and the state is being governed by the NSCN-IM?

The group is now blatantly issuing directives on civic matters in place of the administration and the citizens are also apparently approaching them to resolve their concerns rather than the administration. And even as all these are being played out in the public domain, we hear only deafening silence from the government which we thought we had elected to govern.

So, is the NPF-led government just a puppet government good only for running up to Delhi to beg for funds or to jet-set somewhere to receive dubious awards?

The fact that several parallel governments function actively in our state causing all kinds of problems and hardship for citizens is not exactly a shocker – and the number of these so-called governments has only multiplied over the years. However, in the past, their activities were carried out somewhat furtively, in the manner of people who know their actions are not really legal. But, as we can see, there’s nothing covert about it anymore.

I’m sure this question is going to push some people into a big huff, but we the citizens have the right to know exactly what’s going on. Who is governing the state of Nagaland – the NPF-led government elected by the people to do the job or the NSCN-IM?

Better & Stronger because of it

noreply@blogger.com (Dee Nakhro) — Mon, 19 Sep 2016 12:56:00 +0000

I found the lovely short story I’ve shared below while browsing online and it got me thinking.

When tough times invade our lives or when bad things happen to us or our loved ones, it can be incredibly hard to understand and accept. Sometimes there just seems no sense in what is happening or has happened.

It can be anything – a business failing, a relationship falling apart, a loved one dying before their time, diagnosis of a terminal illness, an accident that leaves you or a loved one injured – we’ve all been there, we’ve all faced such difficult situations.

When I sustained a spinal injury in a car accident in 2006 that left me completely paralysed, I had a hard time making sense of it. I was confused and angry and I raged at the unfairness of it all. I drove myself in ‘why me’ mode for some time – why is this happening to me, what did I do to deserve this, why is life so unfair to me. I looked for answers where there were no answers.

And I was terrified. The future looked dark and threatening and there was no light at the end of the tunnel!

But God is good and the prayers of loved ones and the faithful were with me. I started working my way through this fog of anger and to sort out my feelings. I began to realise that my life could not have been any different. What happened needed to happen; it just needed to be the way it was.

I started to focus on my new reality and to centre my energy on things I could do. I let go of the whys and wherefores and started to look at the things I could control and act upon; things that would make a difference.

That difficult point in my life forced me to grow and become a better me. It was the necessary fire that gave me a new direction and purpose and I’m better and stronger because of it.

Things fall apart so things can fall together……..

The Cocoon & the Butterfly

A man found a cocoon of a butterfly that he brought home.

One day a small opening appeared. He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could, and could go no further.

So the man decided to help the butterfly. He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily. But it had a swollen body and small, shrivelled wings.

The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time.

Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shrivelled wings. It never was able to fly.

What the man, in his kindness and haste, had failed to understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening were God’s way of training the butterfly and strengthening its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our lives. If God allowed us to go through our lives without any obstacles, we would never know what we’re capable of.

We would not be as strong as what we could have been. We would never fly!

- Author Unknown

A Nagaland where ‘No one is left behind’

noreply@blogger.com (Dee Nakhro) — Tue, 12 Jul 2016 10:48:00 +0000

Sharing with you the presentation I submitted to the Nagaland Vision 2030 expert team. The team is currently in the process of preparing a roadmap vision document for the development of Nagaland over the next fifteen years.

WHAT DO PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES WANT?

They want the same things that everyone else in the community wants. They want the opportunity to get a good education, get a job, lead worthwhile lives and be valued members of the society. They want to be able to go to church and worship, to go shopping, go out with family and friends, and enjoy a concert or festival celebration. They want a chance to participate meaningfully in the life of the community. They want their human rights recognised and realised. They want change and are hopeful that others will share their vision of an inclusive Nagaland that leaves no one behind, a Nagaland that enables people with disabilities to fulfil their potential as equal citizens, a Nagaland for all.

PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES ARE CITIZENS WITH RIGHTS

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), ratified by India in 2007, recognises that persons with disabilities are right-holders instead of passive recipients of government schemes. It affirms the dignity and human rights of all people with disabilities and rejects the link between ability and impairment. It does not create any new rights but clearly states that ‘persons with disabilities have equal access and a right to full and effective enjoyment of all human rights’. The principles of the UNCRPD are: inherent dignity, non-discrimination, effective inclusion, respect for differences, equal opportunity, accessibility, gender equality and respect for the evolving capacities of children with disabilities.

People with disabilities are not ‘objects’ of charity but ‘subjects’ with rights, capable of claiming those rights, able to make decisions for their own lives based on their free and informed consent and be active members of society.

OVERVIEW OF NAGALAND

People with disabilities represent the most excluded of all groups in Naga society. They are completely missing from the development landscape.

Majority of children with disabilities cannot attend school. Most adults with disabilities are unable to participate in community activities such as meetings, community programmes and functions, festivals and religious services. They have no access to the labour market and encounter serious obstacles and discrimination in seeking employment or income-generating activities. Girls and women with disabilities, particularly those with psychosocial disabilities, are extremely vulnerable to physical and sexual abuse.

To sum up, People with Disabilities in Nagaland:

Lack access to quality health services
Lack access to disability support services
Lack access to educational services
Lack opportunity to livelihood and economic empowerment
Excluded from participation in society due to environmental barriers
Excluded from participation in society due to attitudinal barriers

WHAT IS DISABILITY-INCLUSIVE DEVELOPMENT

Disability-inclusive development means that people with disabilities are systematically and consistently included in and benefit from development.

• EQUAL RIGHTS: The entire community, including persons with disabilities benefit equally from mainstream development processes. Disability-inclusive development sets out to achieve equal rights for people with disabilities as well as full/active participation in, and access to, all aspects of society.

• PARTICIPATION: Persons with disabilities participate in all benefits of mainstream programmes and thus also participate in decision-making.

• ACCESSIBILITY: Environmental, institutional and attitudinal barriers are identified and addressed to ensure that people with disabilities are fully included in all spheres of life that they participate in society and are optimally able to achieve their ambitions.

• SUSTAINABILITY: Inclusive development is not a one-off activity; including persons with disabilities needs to be embedded in all the veins of the organisational culture. This will become visible in the organisations’ policies, systems and practices.

(Count Me In: Light for the World, Netherlands)

TWIN-TRACK APPROACH: A ‘twin-track’ approach must be adopted by the government. This means that the aim must be to mainstream disability in all government policies and programmes while also supporting disability-targeted programmes. Full and active support must be given to programmes that target people with disabilities directly, but it needs to go further to ensure that all mainstream government programmes are disability-inclusive

AN INCLUSIVE VISION FOR NAGALAND

People with disabilities are vulnerable because of the many barriers we face: attitudinal, physical, and financial. Addressing these barriers is within our reach and we have a moral duty to do so. Beyond that moral duty we would do well to remember the many other reasons to act. Legislation introduced to assist the disabled today will benefit nearly everyone at some point: almost all of us will be impaired at some time in life or care for someone who is.

But most important, addressing these barriers will unlock the potential of so many people with so much to contribute to the world. Governments everywhere can no longer overlook the hundreds of millions of people with disabilities who are denied access to health, rehabilitation, support, education, and employment - and never get the chance to shine.

- Stephen Hawking

STATED OBJECTIVE OF NAGALAND VISION 2030: To prepare a document that envisions a sustainable, progressive and viable Nagaland

FACT: There cannot be a sustainable, progressive and viable Nagaland if Nagas with disabilities are left out from the Nagaland Vision

A viable Nagaland is one that includes people with disabilities in political, social, economic and environmental developments.

WHY:

Because it is their human right to be included
Because no effort at development will be successful without their inclusion
Because not to do so is to consign another generation of children with disabilities to a life of isolation and indignity without education, with limited economic opportunity, with poorer health and with no involvement in the decisions that affect their daily lives

Also, mounting evidence points to the HIGH ECONOMIC COSTS of excluding people with disabilities on the development agenda and the productive cycle – as it is estimated that the global annual GDP loss due to exclusion of disabled people from the labour market is between US$1.37 and 1.94 trillion. Furthermore, disability does not affect only one individual, but usually has ongoing repercussions on an entire household, especially in terms of time and money that is required to provide special care for an individual with disabilities. (Social Analysis and Disability: World Bank)

Our VISION is a Nagaland where no one is left behind. A Nagaland where all citizens have equal opportunities to realise their rights, achieve their potential and live in dignity, free from poverty, exclusion, stigma, discrimination and violence. A Nagaland where people with disabilities have a voice, choice and control over the decisions that affect them; where they participate in and benefit equitably from everyday life, everywhere.

MAKING THE VISION A REALITY

To make this vision a reality a State Disability Strategy must be developed with a time-bound State Plan that addresses issues in all areas of life that exist solely on the basis of disability. The Strategy must articulate long-term goals across key policy areas which impact on people with disabilities, their families and carers. It must also provide leadership for a societal shift in attitudes towards disability and people with disabilities.

The Disability Strategy must be geared towards:

• establishing a policy framework to guide government activity across general and disability-specific areas of public policy

• driving improved performance of mainstream/general services in delivering outcomes for people with disabilities

• giving visibility to disability issues and increasing the understanding and importance of the needs of persons with disabilities and ensuring that these needs are recognised when policy is developed or when initiatives which impact on disabled people are implemented

• providing state leadership toward greater inclusion and opportunities for people with disabilities across all areas of society

KEY POLICY AREAS

• ACCESSIBILITY: Current situation: ZERO accessibility – in the physical environment as well as information and services.

Accessibility is at the core of inclusion. Making the environment and services accessible must be the goal - the physical environment including public transport; buildings and housing, commercial spaces and all public places; digital information and communications technologies; civic life including social, sporting, recreational and cultural life.

• EDUCATION AND SKILLS: Current situation: Most children with disabilities have no access to education due to physical and attitudinal barriers, as well as lack of trained teachers – the repercussions of this situation echoes throughout their lives.

Ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all must be given top priority - early childhood education and care, accessible schools, further education and vocational education

• HEALTH SERVICES: Note: Having a disability is not synonymous with having a health problem: most people with disabilities live healthy lives. However, there is some evidence that, collectively, they experience poorer levels of health and require more healthcare than the general population (WHO & World Bank, 2011).

Health services must be made accessible and affordable. Early intervention and rehabilitation health services must also be put into place on priority. This can help reduce future costs of care and support. Establishing strong interface between health and disability systems is also critical.

• SUPPORT SERVICES: Current situation: ZERO disability services - there is not even a single rehabilitation centre or any other support service available for people with disabilities in the state.

There is urgent need for person-centred care and support provision by specialist disability services and mainstream services, as also informal care and support. Sustainable funding models and service approaches must be adopted.

• ECONOMIC SECURITY: Work is the pathway to long-term economic security and wellbeing for most people. But while people with disabilities face greater direct costs than other people because of additional expenses with transport, personal and health care, diet and communications, and disability assistive requirements, they have little or no earning opportunities. People with disabilities and their families and carers suffer immense economic burdens as a result.

Barriers to employment and income generating opportunities must be identified and addressed, financial independence must be promoted and adequate income support must be provided for those not able to work.

Note: The inclusion of people with disabilities in work/employment can lead to greater economic self-sufficiency, which not only improves their quality of life but also decreases demands on social assistance.

• RIGHTS PROTECTION AND JUSTICE: People with disabilities face discrimination in many areas of life.

Statutory protections such as anti-discrimination measures, complaints mechanisms, advocacy, and justice delivery systems must be put in place

DISABILITY RESPONSIVE BUDGETING

It goes without saying that no action will be possible if funds and resources are not made available. Therefore, it is critical that the State Budget must demonstrate and reflect a commitment to give people with disabilities and their families a serious start to a life of inclusion and hope.

NOTHING ABOUT US WITHOUT US

“Nothing about us without us“(Latin: “Nihil de nobis, sine nobis”) is a slogan used to communicate the idea that no policy should be decided by any representative without the full and direct participation of members the group(s) affected by that policy. This involves national, ethnic, disability-based, or other groups that are often thought to be marginalized from political, social, and economic opportunities - Wikipedia

The Government must work collaboratively with people with disabilities and their representative organisations in the development of policies, programmes and systems that affect people with disabilities.

Disabled people are the experts in their own lives and their views are an essential part of any evidence base for action. Involving them in developing policy and development programmes will help identify gaps in knowledge and give an indication of whether the policy or programme will work in the short and long term.

Including and engaging People with Disabilities and local Disabled Person’s Organisation (DPOs) in the design, delivery and monitoring and evaluation of policy and programmes and in round table discussion with the government is critical to hear first-hand the challenges people with disabilities are facing and identify effective approaches for collectively addressing these challenges.

“Be participatory, actively and meaningfully involving people with disability in all matters concerning them in the process of forming policies and programmes; DPOs are key players in this process” (UN DESA 2011)

CONCLUSION

An Inclusive and Enabling Nagaland where ‘No one is Left Behind’ is not an impossible dream. All it needs is political will and a strong commitment to take EVERYONE along.

For too long, Nagaland has ignored, excluded, isolated and neglected its citizens with disabilities. This is discriminatory and wrong and it needs to CHANGE.

No, it’s NOT barrier free

noreply@blogger.com (Dee Nakhro) — Sat, 11 Jun 2016 13:20:00 +0000

The above is a photo of the plaque proudly displayed on a wall at the Nagaland Civil Secretariat complex – ‘BARRIER FREE ENVIRONMENT’.

I beg to strongly differ and my request to them is to please, please remove it because it is utterly embarrassing. The complex is far from barrier free and I have the photographs to prove it.

They have indeed constructed the semblance of a ramp leading up to the main building. Even this, by the way, has obviously not been maintained. The ramp is cracked and sinking for the better part of the way up making it extremely difficult to push a chair. Much clever manoeuvring and dexterous twists and turns to avoid the loose tiles and, of course, a lot of brute strength are needed to get to the building level – and all credit goes to the pushers.

And here, I must say ‘thank you’ from the bottom of my heart to everyone who make it possible for me to live a full and fulfilling life. As you can imagine, I need an entire entourage to get around - if you can’t, you’ll get an idea when you look at some of the images below. In Nagaland, in the existing pathetic situation of zero accessibility, unless you’re blessed with a strong support network, there is no chance for a person with disability to have any kind of life. It is definitely no country for the disabled.

To my family, my beautiful son and my beautiful nieces and nephews who are always ready to drive me around and assist me anytime, anywhere, my attendants who accompany me everywhere and sit waiting for me for hours and my friends and colleagues who are always there for me – there are no words to express how much your love and support means to me. I’m truly blessed.

To get back to the ‘barrier-free’ Nagaland Secretariat complex, once you reach the main building level, you’re confronted by numerous other obstacles. First of all, the ramp is now broken up into segments by open water drainage outlets. They are not huge by any means and wouldn’t pose any problem for those who’re able to stride over it easily. But for wheelchair users, for whom the ramp is ostensibly constructed, these uncovered water drains are massive barriers. I needed at least three people to help me cross each one – one to control my chair from behind and two to lift the wheels on both sides.

On one side of the building, once you’re able to get through these drains, the ramp leads up to the hallowed corridors of the secretariat building. It is another matter on the other side – after every one or two metre stretch you find a set of steps. The chair obviously cannot be pushed up the steps and so has to be lifted up. There are four such obstacle points to conquer over and above the open water drainage ways before you’re finally inside the building.

Phew, so you’ve reached the building at last. On the ground floor, you somehow manage to get around, despite the narrow hallways at many points and small and congested rooms. It involves a lot of bumping into people, tables and chairs, scraping walls and getting caught in between tiny doorways, but you somehow deal with it. Anyway, what other choice does one have?

But if your work is on the upper floor, it’s a lost cause for many. There’s no lift, of course. There are only steps and steps and more steps. Going up to the upper floor is an impossible prospect for those fully dependent on their chairs. Since I have partial mobility, I huffed and puffed my way up holding on to the railings for dear life and with my companions holding me up. It was a fine exhibition for curious onlookers. We, of the disabled species of Nagaland, learn quickly that we are there to entertain others with our undignified struggles as we try to get around our barrier filled environment.

Then there’s also the fact that a ramp alone, however good it may be, does not a barrier-free environment make! What about accessible restrooms……and accessibility for other disabilities? After all, disability is not limited to mobility disability only. There is no sign of even basic provisions for the deaf and the blind or any kind of aid for those with learning and speaking disabilities and so on and so forth – no clear written signage, tactile or auditory signage and information, etc.

Barrier-free environment? No, it definitely is not! As I said, the proclamation on the wall is an embarrassment – take it down!

Below are some images of my visit to the Nagaland Civil Secretariat Complex…….

Struggling to cross one of the many open water drainage outlets

Steps.............

More steps.............these are in between the ramp!

And more.................

Beginning the journey up to the upper floor!

View of the cracked and uneven ramp leading up to the building level

Smoke free: But how, Mr DC?

noreply@blogger.com (Dee Nakhro) — Tue, 03 May 2016 18:22:00 +0000

Here we go again. Another grand but doomed announcement, another good idea set up for failure!

I’m talking about the ‘Smoke Free City’ declaration made by Kohima Deputy Commissioner during a smoke free campaign programme held in Kohima on April 28. According to media reports, the DC addressed the gathering of students from 22 schools and declared our State capital a Smoke Free City. He invited the schools to be ambassadors in bringing about the transformation.

All that sounds fine, right? It’s what comes next that makes the declaration a joke. The DC added that guidelines and rules for adherence by public and enforcement by the district administration and police would be brought out without delay!

My question: Why did the DC making such a major announcement when there is obviously no strategy in place to implement it? Was it a spur of the moment thing like – “Oh my gosh, the students are shouting all these slogans for a smoke free city, let me just declare it to please them”?

Seriously, what was he thinking? How can he make such a proclamation without first working out the implementation details with the various departments and agencies that will have to be involved in taking the programme forward?

Declaring a state capital smoke free is not a small matter and doing that without any enforcement plan or infrastructure in place can only be termed irresponsible. For it to succeed there will have to be a system, both for monitoring compliance and for prosecuting violators. The monitoring would have to include a process for inspection of businesses and the like for compliance and for this to be effective the inspectors would have to be given proper training. Then there is also the need to work out which areas will be exempt and under what rules. Resources are needed to educate businesses, train inspectors, coordinate the inspection process and compensate personnel and therefore a funding mechanism has to be identified for this purpose.

You get where I’m going with this. By the DC’s own admission, no enforcement plan, even the most basic, has been made to make the town smoke free and yet he goes ahead and declares it and then says that rules and regulations for ‘adherence by public and enforcement by the district administration and police would be brought out without delay’. Given the many details that will have to be worked out if the ban is to really work, how does he think he can bring out an effective system of enforcement ‘without delay’? And FYI, ‘without delay’ in government jargon usually takes years with matters left hanging without any action. One can only assume he was speaking in that sense.

In the meantime, with no workable administrative rules yet in place and no time frame for their implementation, we’re stuck with a hollow label that will bring us nothing but embarrassment – as if we don’t have enough of that already! Just imagine this scenario. An out of state friend asks you about your smoke free city and how it’s working out. Do you say, ‘Oh it has been declared but it’s yet to be implemented’?

By the way, a law banning smoking in public places is already in place. Look where we are on that. A ban on sale of tobacco and tobacco products in the vicinity of schools and educational institutions is also in existence, notifications of which keep appearing at regular intervals. But we all know where that has got us. Now we can add to these the unplanned Smoke Free City tag. I think that’s called adding insult to injury!

There are plenty of other rules and regulations, bans and notifications strewn all around us. We don’t suffer any shortage in this department and most of them are absolutely needed for the good of the people as a whole. But the problem is that there’s never any proper plan on how they’re going to be executed. Hence all the rules and regulations and bans are mostly only on paper and nobody really gives a hoot about them, neither the public nor the authorities. And you really can’t blame the public, can you? If there’s no enforcement then what’s to stop them from doing what they’ve always done.

I sincerely hope I’m proved wrong and our capital town becomes truly smoke free. The health risks associated with exposure to second-hand smoke are serious and I wholeheartedly support any government initiative to protect the public, as should each and every citizen. But simply labelling our town smoke free does not make it so and you’ll have to forgive me if I’m not holding my breath at this point. I find it a little difficult to be optimistic in the absence of an administrative roadmap towards the goal.

Tourism for All, please

noreply@blogger.com (Dee Nakhro) — Sat, 23 Apr 2016 18:46:00 +0000

Nagaland’s famous Hornbill Festival does not include Persons with Disability

Poster put up by the Nagaland State Disability Forum at Kisama Heritage Village during Hornbill Festival 2015

To,

The Parliamentary Secretary

Tourism

Nagaland: Kohima

With tourism a major focus in the State today and the industry only set to grow in the coming years, we would like to draw your attention to an aspect in the State Tourism Policy that has been ignored and neglected leading to the complete exclusion of persons with disability – the aspect of ACCESSIBILITY at the various tourist sites and events.

OVERVIEW

As you are aware, the Persons with Disabilities Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation Act (PWD Act) came into being in India in 1995. This was the country's first ever legislation that laid the foundation for equal rights of persons with disabilities.

In October 2007, India ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). Article 1 encapsulates the overall objective of the Convention which is “to promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities, and to promote respect for their inherent dignity.”

Since its ratification, the process of getting a stronger disability rights legislation based on the UN Convention has been underway and a new bill is currently awaiting passage by Parliament.

However, despite the existence of various laws as well as guidelines and court orders that have been notified from time to time to ensure equal rights and full participation of Persons with Disabilities, it must be stated quite bluntly here that the Nagaland Government has consistently failed this section of its citizens through the years.

According to Census 2011, there are 29,631 people with various disabilities in Nagaland. Even as this is still a conservative estimation, this large section continues to live on the fringes of our society completely deprived of their rights and dignity and facing exclusion and discrimination from society as a whole.

TOURISM

Accessible tourism is the ongoing endeavour to ensure tourist destinations, products and services are accessible to all people, regardless of their physical limitations, disabilities or age. It encompasses publicly and privately owned tourist locations. The term has been defined by Darcy and Dickson (2009, p34) as: Accessible tourism enables people with access requirements, including mobility, vision, hearing and cognitive dimensions of access, to function independently and with equity and dignity through the delivery of universally designed tourism products, services and environments. This definition is inclusive of all people including those travelling with children in prams, people with disabilities and seniors.

Modern society is increasingly aware of the concept of integration of people with disabilities. Issues such as accessibility, design for all, and universal design are featured in the international symposia of bodies such as the European Commission. Steps have been taken to promote guidelines and best practices, and major resources are now dedicated to this field. (Wikipedia)

As stated above, tourism is quite rightly a major focus in our state today and the potential of the industry and market is huge. However, it is a matter of concern that the Nagaland Government is excluding a large chunk of the population in its tourism policy. As is evident, even basic accessibility facilities are not available at any of our state’s tourism projects, sites and events.

HORNBILL FESTIVAL

The annual Hornbill Festival has become a significant event in the Nagaland calendar and attracts thousands of tourists every year, both domestic and international, while also enabling the participation of hundreds of local citizens. But as highlighted by members of the Nagaland State Disability Forum last year (2015), even the main Kisama Heritage Village venue is completely inaccessible in terms of the physical environment as well as other aids and facilities.

Besides violating the rights of the disabled community of the State, most of whom are still unable to participate in a major state-sponsored event even after all these years, the unfriendly environment means that the State is losing out on a new and important market.

Accessible Tourism, or ‘Tourism for All’, is making travel and tourism destinations, products, and information suitable for all those who have particular accessibility needs, including mobility, vision, hearing and cognitive dimensions of access, and even parents travelling with children. Even though accessible tourism is not a new concept, it has only recently been brought to the forefront as tour operators, businesses, and destinations are beginning to take notice to the increasing demand for accessibility – according to the Sustainable Tourism Cooperative Research Centre in Australia some 88% of people with physical disabilities take a holiday each year. And with disabled American adults alone spending an average of $13.6 billion a year on travel, it goes to show that this is an important market to the tourism industry that should not be overlooked. (Global Sustainable Tourism Council)

With all these in mind, we place the following before you:

1. A ‘Tourism for all’ policy to be put in place in the State Tourism Department

2. Accessibility to be reviewed and improved in existing sites and events

3. Accessibility at the main venue as well as associated events of the annual Hornbill Festival to be taken up immediately and implemented.

As a well respected public leader with awareness of global trends and movements, we have faith that you will personally ensure that this very important aspect of Accessibility in our State’s Tourism Industry is treated with the seriousness it deserves.

Diethono Nakhro

Disability Advocate and

Advisor to the Nagaland State Disability Forum

Kezhaleto Zecho

President, Nagaland State Disability Forum

T20 off my menu

noreply@blogger.com (Dee Nakhro) — Thu, 07 Apr 2016 12:53:00 +0000

West Indies team celebrates their World Twenty20 2016 win. Photo: sportsroar.com

West Indies has just won the sixth World T20 held in India. The Caribbean calypsos beat England by 4 wickets in the final and have become the first team ever in history to win both ICC Cricket World Cup and World Twenty20 for more than once.

Yay, good for them! But sorry, I didn’t watch even a single match throughout the tournament. I just caught news about the winning teams from the various news channels. The fast food version of cricket has lost its lustre for me.

When Twenty20 started becoming popular, I was all for it. Forget test cricket, even one-days seem too long these days. So this quick version that is over and done with in a jiffy looked ideal. I followed it avidly at first, especially with the start of the T20 World Cup and the launch of the Indian Premier League. But the attraction soon started waning and now I'm completely off it. I’ve struck it off my menu.

To begin with, I was never interested in cricket – in fact, I always found it super boring. I guess it was mainly because I didn’t know much about it. It was like, what the heck are those guys up to, running up and down those sticks in uncomfortable bulky leg pads?

My brothers are big fans and growing up I remember them being glued to the radio listening to cricket match commentaries. That was the era before TV, if anyone even remembers it now! I just laughed at their reactions, probably when someone got out or batted a sixer, but couldn’t be bothered with the game.

But interested or not, I too listened to the 1983 Indian World Cup triumph on the radio. I was in college then. It was a huge event and everyone was listening to it! I laughed hilariously when the commentator said somewhat mockingly that it would probably be a celebratory national holiday for India the next day.

I learned all about wielding the willow, bowling, runs and boundaries thanks to good friends the Metha brothers, John and Abu, Akhou Keditsu and sports buff Yartenla Jamir. Their incessant cricket talk drew me to the game and I started following it with interest.

Now, the Metha brothers are sporty types who play and are good at various sports – cricket, badminton, tennis and what have you. So there’s nothing surprising about them being passionate sports fans. Yar, as I said, is also a sports buff. Pretty handy at a few of them herself, it’s quite natural that she follows various events enthusiastically.

Akhou is another story altogether – laid back to the point of being lazy, he would do anything to avoid any kind of vigorous activity. The most un-sporty type you’ll come across, but a more knowledgeable expert on all kinds of sports you’ll never find – even some weird ones that you’ve never even heard of. Cricket, football, basketball, tennis, Formula 1 – you name it and he knows all about it, history and everything else between. Not a player but a true sports lover to the core. I would recommend some time in his company to anyone looking to enhance their sports IQ!

Well, all credit to them for converting me to a game I couldn’t care less about. I guess there’s something in the old adage – be careful of the company you keep. Friends do influence us, for better or worse!

But sorry, Twenty20 has fallen out of favour with me, for now at least.

By the way, I must put in a footnote here: The Indian obsession with cricket is enough to put anyone off the game. It gets tedious - honest!!

Speaking Picture 2

noreply@blogger.com (Dee Nakhro) — Wed, 30 Mar 2016 22:08:00 +0000

Photo courtesy: Alice Lase Yhoshü

So, here’s another picture that speaks much more than a thousand words about us.

The above photo was taken by Alice Lase Yhoshü near the Congress Bhavan in Kohima on Monday afternoon (March 21). She says the garbage is piling up right on the side of the road leading to several high profile offices like the Deputy Commissioner’s office, State Information Commission’s office, and, wait for it, the Kohima Municipal Council’s office.

Check out the photo again. The public notice says – ‘Do not throw waste here. Keep Kohima Clean’. And guess who put the notice up? Answer: Kohima Municipal Council.

No words necessary, the image tells the story of the sorry chaotic mess that is our society today. Anyhow, just go to my earlier post This picture speaks volumes

How happy are we?

noreply@blogger.com (Dee Nakhro) — Wed, 23 Mar 2016 08:03:00 +0000

If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands………..

Well, the people of Denmark must be clapping hard and loud. The Scandinavian country, which has a population of around 5.6 million, has officially reclaimed its place as the happiest nation in the world. It knocked Switzerland into second place to take the title of the happiest country in the 2016 World Happiness Report.

The report was published by the UN ahead of its International Day of Happiness on March 20, complete with insights into how the most cheerful countries got that way. It ranks countries by happiness levels using factors such as per capita gross domestic product (GDP) and healthy years of life expectancy. It also rates "having someone to count on in times of trouble" and freedom from corruption in government and business.

This is the fourth World Happiness Report since 2012. Denmark topped the list in the first report and again in 2013, but was displaced by Switzerland last year. Back on top again, residents are saying the reason behind their nation clinching the top spot in the list of 156 countries was because they had “no worries”.

Three out of four for Denmark – that’s no mean achievement! So what makes the country stand out, what makes its citizens apparently so contented and happy? Benjamin Radcliff, Ph.D., a professor at the University of Notre Dame and author of the book The Political Economy of Human Happiness, notes that one of the most important reasons the Danes enjoy such a high quality of life is because of a government that attempts to govern in the interest of ordinary citizens.

Aha, a government that cares for its citizens and tries to make their life better and easier! I guess Thomas Jefferson was on to something when he said, “The care of human life and happiness and not their destruction is the only legitimate object of good government.”

All these got me thinking about us. How would we fare if Nagaland is to be rated on the factors mentioned – value of economic activity and revenue generated within our borders, social security and support system, freedom from corruption and a government that actually governs and acts for the good of the people.

You know where we are today – you do the math. Perhaps it would be more appropriate to ask, “What do we have to be happy about?” Sounds bleak, but it says as much if we’re to go by the indicators in our context. Wouldn’t you like to be born again as a Dane just to experience what it’s like to have a government that cares and works in your interest? I would.

Professor Jeffrey Sachs, co-author of the Happiness Report and special adviser to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, also made an observation I found very interesting. Speaking about the United States which came in at 13, he said: "There is a very strong message for my country, the United States, which is very rich, has gotten a lot richer over the last 50 years, but has gotten no happier. The message for the United States is clear. For a society that just chases money, we are chasing the wrong things."

Something to think about, huh?

My greatest blessing

noreply@blogger.com (Dee Nakhro) — Tue, 15 Mar 2016 12:05:00 +0000

Recovering from a pretty severe bout of the flu and feeling weak and totally out of it still – head not yet in the right place! This was rather a strange flu attack. It came on so suddenly with a painful sore throat that appeared out of the blue one evening after dinner. No itchy throat or cough or any other warning symptoms whatsoever. Then came the high-grade fever the next day that felled me completely.

I was reduced to a helpless mess for three days. I’m so grateful that my son Khrieto was home to help me through it. He gave me my medicines on time and cooked and fed me broths and soups that he thought I might be able to take in without throwing up. He also made up his bed on the floor and slept near me all through. My beautiful son, my greatest blessing! He’s the best thing that ever happened to me.

A couple of weeks old.....safe in my arms

It seems like only yesterday that I held him in my arms, completely awed by the perfection of my baby. The years have flown by and it seems my tiny baby boy has grown up into this fine young man when I wasn’t looking. I can’t believe that I’ve already celebrated 28 Mother’s Days.

I’m an imperfect mother, that’s for sure. To start with, I was young and without a clue. But I had tons of energy and one thing I can say for myself, I was determined to give my all to be the best mother that I can be to my son. And I was the luckiest to have my own beautiful mum around to help with babysitting as I bungled along trying to find my feet as a single mother.

As a happy 2-yr-old with proud Mama (R) Stepping into his teens - I call this his hair gel phase :-)

One mistake at a time – I came across this in a parenting website and that’s exactly how it has been. One mistake at a time, one day at a time! And along the way I realised there’s no one size that fits all in parenting. We all just try everyday to raise our children the best way we know how.

And here we are today, my son and I. I must have got it right somewhere. From a feisty, curious and bright little boy, he’s become this amazing confident and motivated adult. I unashamedly claim bragging rights here :-). He’s kind and thoughtful and he cares about the world around him. I do believe he’ll make one woman a wonderful husband one day!

Khrieto interning at the Sheraton Krabi Resort Thailand

He found his passion in the culinary arts. After being far away for over three and half years completing his studies, interning and getting some work experience, he came home for a well-deserved break. He’s treated us to some incredible cooking, but that hardly surprises me. I always knew he would excel at whatever he does. Now he’s readying to leave again to take his passion one step further with a pastry programme at the Le Cordon Bleu.

I know I’ll miss him deeply and I’ll always worry. But I know he has to live his life and one thing I know I can always be assured about is that his life will be one of purpose and accomplishment. I’m so proud to be his mother.

I penned the following poem when my son was seven years old. I’m privileged to share it with you……

Khrieto

When I first saw you

You were just

A wrinkly bundle

Wrapped in blue

With a mop of dark hair

I took you in my arms

Kissed and tickled your cheeks

Softly ruffled your hair

But didn’t really know

What to do

I just said a silent prayer

I thanked Him for you

I prayed that He bless you

And keep you

Under His wings always

I was not ready in many ways

To accept a precious gift as you

And before you were born

I didn’t know

Just how much I would love you

That magical moment

I looked into your eyes

Your beautiful, beautiful eyes

My heart just grew

I thought it would burst

You’re growing up so fast

Soon, so very soon

However hard it may be for me

You’ll spread your wings

You’ll follow your dreams

Always remember

No matter how near or far apart

My head is bowed in prayer for you

I am always there in your heart

You are never alone

‘My son’

No more beautiful words

Were ever spoken

I thank the lord for you

Each and every day

Out of everything I did

It was you that I did right

God is good, my son. As I prayed when you were born, I pray and trust every single day that He will protect you and guide your every thought and every step. Never forget that you are blessed and always allow Him to lead in all you do and say.

My son…..my joy, my greatest blessing!