A wheelchair-bound disability rights activist was asked to stand up for security check at the Chennai airport on Monday night. This is not the first time that he has been subjected to such checks.
On Monday at around 9pm, Rajiv Rajan reached the Chennai airport to board a Singapore Airlines flight to Seoul when a security staff asked him to stand up for security check, saying it is part of the rules. Rajiv asked the security staff to show him the rules. Immediately, another security staff came to the spot, who completed the checking and allowed him to go inside and board the flight.
Speaking to The News Minute, Rajiv said, “This has happened to me in 1990s also. I was not allowed to board an Air Sahara flight. It became a big issue and led to the formation of the committee to draft guidelines for people with disabilities.”
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation came up with Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR) that made guidelines for making the mobility of people with disabilities easier when they travel by air. It was also to reduce discrimination and give proper assistance to people with disabilities.
Ironically, Rajiv was a member of the drafting committee for CAR in 2010 and gave feedback on the draft rules in 2014. He is also on the Board of Asia Pacific Disabled People’s Organization United.
Rajiv Rajan is the co-founder of Ektha, an NGO which works for people with developmental and multiple disabilities. He has limited mobility due to cerebral palsy.
Rajiv feels that such incidents will continue happening. “How many times should we complain? Every time we have to travel, we have to be scared of what will come up this time. India has the equipment which can do security checks without making people get up but they are not using it."