Disability activists have welcomed Southern Railway general manager Rakesh Misra’s move to inspect disabled coaches of trains and his warning to all division managers to ensure no one encroaches upon these coaches. However, they say, this should be implemented strictly.
“It is mostly railway staff, RPF personnel, government railway police personnel and season ticket-holders that encroach upon the disabled coach. They get together and behave as a mob, threatening any disabled person who dares to stand up to them. It is especially unsafe for disabled women,” said T.M.N. Deepak of the Federation of Tamil Nadu Differently Abled Associations, who led a three-day protest over this issue recently.
He added that trains originating in the Chennai division were usually checked, but those coming from the north or south invariably had non-disabled persons occupying the coaches.
Maheshwari Thangaraj, general secretary, State Forum for Rights of All Women with Disabilities, said they had hoped for a budgetary allocation for CCTV cameras in the disabled coaches this year, but that had not materialised. “Every three months we hold a leadership camp. But disabled women are reluctant to come as they are invariably abused, groped or made to sit on the floor of the coach meant for them,” she said.
“I am glad Southern Railway is now doing something about this issue,” she added.
Smitha Sadasivan of Disabilities Rights Alliance said she was happy to hear Mr. Misra’s announcement for stricter inspection. She added, “Often checks happen at the starting point like Egmore or Central station but are not seen through in subsequent stations,” she said. Staff need to be trained and sensitised to ensure such incidents do not occur, she added.
