In our #Good News Story, comes this story about a
gurdwara in Delhi, where sustained activism on the part of a group of
determined residents has led the local gurdwara to make its venue
accessible.
Access to places of worship for all is guaranteed not only under the
Indian Constitution but also under the RPWD Act
2016 and the
However, the reality is that many religious sites across India, even
well-known ones, discriminate when it comes to people with disabilities.
Either the facilities do not exist or are followed in a halfhearted manner.
Which makes this story of citizen activism from Delhi especially
satisfying to report especially at the start of the week. It’s a story we
bring to you from East Delhi where the main gurdwara, Pandav Nagar
Gurdwara has set in place facilities that will make worship accessible
to people with locomotor disabilities.
The credit for this goes to disability rights activist Kajal
Sharma.
I am a wheelchair user and have grown up in this neighborhood. All these
years I could never enter the gurdwara because there is no wheelchair
access. I would stand outside the gate, offer my prayers and leave, which
really felt awful. Even the ground floor area where there is a large space
was not accessible because there were just stairs leading to it. This is
also the case with a temple in the area. I wanted to do something about
this. – Kajal Sharma, Disability rights activist
With the support of her brother Parul Sharma, an
accessibility consultant, Sharma started petitioning the local gurdwara
authorities. What gave their campaign momentum was the push from the
State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, T D
Dhariyal in 2018 asking all districts in Delhi to conduct an audit
of places of worship and submit a compliance report on their
disabled-friendly initiatives.
Gurdwara authorities decided to take note and have set in place several
measures to make the venue accessible.
“We have an e-rickshaw service to transport people with disabilities from
their doorstep to the gurdwara and back”, says Sardar Mangal
Singh, who is a former member of the Delhi Gurdwara
Committee. This is a free service.
A ramp has also been built along with a chairlift, similar to the facility at
the Gurdwara Bangla Sahib, adds Singh. “At present it can take
only one person and we have started constructing another one that can
accommodate more people”.
The new measures have seen a sizeable increase in the number of
visitors to the gurdwara. “Many people who could not visit earlier have
started coming now”, says Singh. “This is helping people with
disabilities as well as the elderly”.
The accessibility infrastructure will be reviewed on a periodic basis and
upgraded.
“This is a major achievement for people with disabilities, especially those
with locomotor disabilities”, believes Sharma. “This will enable them to
come out, participate and be more visible. And this is not just about
disabled people but also the elderly. This is their fundamental right, what
is rightfully due to them”.
The disabled community here is not resting on this victory alone. Next on
their radar is the Shri Radha Krishna Sanatan Dharma Temple
which has no ramp or other measures in place for people with disabilities.
Given their determination, that is bound to change too.
ALSO READ:Colours of Dussehra turn dim for this wheelchair user in Delhi due
to lack of accessible facilities
Source: https://newzhook.com/story/21349
