A day after two disability rights activists alleged that they were “insulted and humiliated” by security personnel at Kolkata’s Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, the airport authorities issued an apology on Twitter, and assured that steps would be taken to ensure such incidents do not occur again.
“We would like to sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused to Ms Jeeja Ghosh & Ms Kuhu Das during check-in process at #KolkataAirport. The matter is being strongly taken up with concerned teams to ensure that such incidents does not happen again [sic],” read a tweet posted by the official Twitter handle of Kolkata Airport.
When contacted by The Hindu , both activists said that the apology “meant nothing if airport officials did not train airlines and security staff to engage with persons with disabilities with respect”.
Jeeja Ghosh, who has cerebral palsy, recounted that in 2012 she was deboarded from a flight at the same airport. She had taken the issue to the Supreme Court, which directed the airline to pay ₹10 lakh as damages to her.
“They will do it again when I or anybody else with disability tries to travel,” said Ms. Ghosh, who was brand ambassador for West Bengal’s Chief Electoral Officer during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
The incident occurred on Sunday when Ms. Ghosh, along with Ms. Das, a polio survivor, was travelling to Delhi. While Ms. Ghosh was told she could not fly without an escort, Ms. Das was told to remove her calipers so that they could be put through the scanner.
“I told her [the woman security officer] that to remove my calipers, I would have to take my trousers off. I have been wearing calipers with titanium rods for many years,” said Ms. Das. She recounted that the woman security officer called her colleague, who said they “had never encountered such a person” [in reference to Ms. Das].
Like Ms. Ghosh, Ms. Das said an apology was not enough, and that she would file an official complaint on the matter.
“A tweet will not set things right. What we are seeking is a systemic change. We were allowed to travel after protests but an ordinary person with disability may not be allowed,” Ms. Das said.
Four well-known disability right activists from Kolkata were travelling to Delhi to discuss recommendations made in the United Nations Country Report on Disability.
Referring to the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill, 2016, she said the law in the country has a rights-based approach for persons with disabilities, yet people are so “insensitive”.
