Rajiv Rajan was born with cerebral palsy, but he always loved travelling, and his mother carried him around until he was 10 years old. However, there came a point when she couldn't continue, and he eventually stopped going out. The primary reason was the expenses involved in hiring an auto or cab, which was a significant financial burden for his family. These childhood experiences led the disability rights activist to file a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) every year for more than 25 years, to push the govt to make public transport more accessible for people with disabilities. Finally, his efforts reached fruition, with the Tamil Nadu govt launching low-floor buses last year. This means that persons with disabilities (PwDs) on wheelchairs can now board buses on their own, with the help of a ramp fitted to the bus.
"Initially, I used to think the problem was only mine, until I started working with Vidya Sagar, an organisation which works for children and adults with disabilities. During my time there, I learnt about disability rights and laws, and realised it is an issue faced by all those with disabilities. A major challenge is the high cost of transportation, be it to go to the hospital, a place of work, or even the school, which are so high that many children are forced to drop out of school," he says.
Learning about how people with disabilities were forced to rely heavily on public transport also shaped his journey. As part of his work at Vidya Sagar, Rajiv learnt about Public Interest Litigation (PIL) and began filing them in 2005 for 20 consecutive years. "I had access to good lawyers and that is how it all started," he says.
Though his PIL finally received a response, Rajiv says he cannot help but wonder why they had to fight for so long. "The Constitution of India guarantees the right to freedom of movement to all citizens. The delay in action implies that persons with disabilities and senior citizens were not being treated as equal citizens of India — at least not until the govt finally decided to implement the court's order."
"I know the struggle of persons with disabilities in getting out of our homes to go to the doctor, to work, or study. No city can be a smart city if it ignores 30% of its population," says Rajiv. Despite his relentless advocacy, Rajiv is yet to travel in the bus and experience the independence he has fought so hard for.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Muskaan Ahmed
Quelle/Source: The Times of India, 02.03.2025
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