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The seventh disability
The Erwadi tragedy of Aug 2001 attracted international attention. That it happened is indicative of a deep-rooted apathy towards people with mental illness, says Javed Abidi.
July 2002: In a tragic incident at Erwadi in Tamilnadu during August 2001, 25 people, including 11 women, were charred to death. A devastating fire broke out at 5 a.m. in the thatched hostel housing them. Out of the 46 hostel inmates, 40 were chained to their beds. They kept screaming for help but no one came to their rescue. The 46 hostel inmates were mentally ill.
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Erwadi had long been considered a holy place, famous for its dargah. People from various parts of the country brought their loved ones here in the belief that the dargah had magical powers to cure mental illness. During the course of the 'treatment', the persons with mental illness were frequently caned, whipped and beaten up in the name of 'driving away the evil'. During the day, they were tied to trees with thick ropes. At night, they were tied to their beds with iron chains.
After the incident, the area Deputy Inspector General, the Superintendent of Police and the Collector 'rushed' to the spot 'to assess the situation.' Eyewitnesses told the media that, "had their legs and wrists not been chained, they could have escaped the blaze." These eyewitnesses also reported that most inmates were kept chained 'as per normal practice' and that the alarm raised by some of the inmates (when the fire broke out) was ignored by the hostel owners who mistook it for their 'usual cries'.
If this is not gruesome, then pray what is? The 'toll' has risen to 27. In simple language, two more totally innocent people have died. While the fire made headline news in most newspapers, this rise in 'toll' by two was just a small, one-column, inch-long news item in the paper. After a few editorials had been written and articles had been printed, the issue has been wiped out from the minds of the public.
But should this be allowed to happen? To my mind, the answer is a clear NO. What happened at Erwadi was a horrible and gruesome tragedy and a concerted effort is required by all to ensure that this kind of an incident does not repeat itself.
According to newspaper reports, there are at least 15 such 'mental asylums' just around the Erwadi dargah, holding more than 1000 mentally ill persons! Then, there is an All India Pingla Ashram in Patiala and a Dargah Quadri Bogdag in Hyderabad and hundreds, perhaps thousands of such hostels, institutions and asylums all over the country. But, the fact of the matter is that even the conditions in the regular, government owned mental hospitals, numbering 43, merits severe condemnation.
Once upon a time, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare had prepared a 'detailed' report on this issue. Two years ago, even NIMHANS prepared a comprehensive report for the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). One can safely presume that these reports are gathering dust on some politician's table or in some bureaucrat's almirah.
The Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act was passed by both the Houses of our Parliament in a single day in December 1995. There was much hope, even euphoria, amongst disabled people and their parents, families and friends. The law was notified on 7th February 1996. It has been five long years now.
The Disability Act of 1995 defines 'disability' to mean (i) blindness; (ii) low vision; (iii) leprosy-cured; (iv) hearing impairment; (v) locomotor disability; (vi) mental retardation, and (vii) mental illness.
The day after the Erwadi tragedy, when a journalist contacted the concerned officer in the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, the senior bureaucrat tried to wash her hands off the issue by saying that mental illness was not their concern and that the journalist should contact someone in the Health Ministry. When the journalist pointed out the definition of disability under The Disability Act of 1995, the bureaucrat referred her to the Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities (CCPD). When this journalist contacted the CCPD she received a vague reply that the matter was already under the consideration of NHRC.
So why is it that everyone from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (nice, long name!) to the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (nicer, longer name!) to the Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities are all ping-ponging the issue? The answer is tragic and yet very simple - none of them have a clue about the problem at hand and while hanging dearly to their precious little offices, none of them have done even one percent of what they were supposed to do.
According to an estimate, mental disorders afflict five percent of the country's population. With as many as five crore of our people in need of special care, the importance of setting up an effective, countrywide system of mental health and social care cannot be over-emphasised.
Each State should have a Mental Health Authority but most have not bothered to set this up. Eighty percent of our districts do not even have a psychiatrist in public service. The World Health Organisation defines health as "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being." However, in our country, mental health care is not perceived as an important aspect of public health care. Hence, the lack of interest on the part of those who inherit Nirman Bhawan (read Ministry of Health, etc). The gods and goddesses of the Indian disability sector look at mental illness (as well as mental retardation) merely from the mental health point of view. They remain blinkered to WHO's well-rounded definition where a human being's physical and more importantly, social well-being is directly linked to her/his mental well-being. So, therefore, if she/he is mentally ill or mentally retarded, how is she/he not disabled? But then, those who inherit Shastri Bhawan (read Ministry of Social Justice, etc.) remain uneducated and unaware to the extent that they are not even aware of their own law!
The Disability Act of 1995 not only included mental illness under the definition of 'disability' but also mandates that its Central Coordination Committee (which has representation at the 'Secretary to the Government of India' level of the Health Ministry!) will: (1) review and coordinate the activities of all Governmental and Non-Governmental Organisations which are dealing with matters relating to persons with disabilities; (2) develop a national policy to address issues faced by persons with disabilities; (3) advise on the formulation of policies, programmes, legislations and projects with respect to disability.
So, what review or coordination has taken place over the last five years, since the passage and enactment of this legislation? Which national policy vis-a-vis mental illness has been formulated? How many programmes or projects have been funded or launched for the welfare of persons with mental illness? The answer is none. But then mental illness is the seventh disability!
The Central Coordination Committee is the highest policy making body when it comes to the welfare and well being of India's disabled citizens. The law mandates that it must meet at least once every six months. Since the notification of The Disability Act on 7th February 1996, it should have at least met 11 times by now. However, according to the affidavit filed by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment in January 2001, before the Honourable Supreme Court of India, only two meetings of the Committee have been held in the last five years. The second and the last meeting was held on 27th November, 1998!
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This article was written in 2001 when Maneka Gandhi was the Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment. Since then, Dr.Satiyanarayan Jatiya has taken over. |
If a horse is caned or a bird caged, Honourable Minister of Social Justice, Smt. Maneka Gandhi thunders and shrieks. People are hauled up; some lose their jobs and some are even put in jail.
Madam Minister, here we are talking about Human Beings! About five crore of our citizens - our own brothers and sisters. They are being caned, whipped and beaten up as you read this article. They are tied to a tree with a thick rope. When night falls, many of them will be chained to their beds. And, God forbid, a fire may break out again.
Will you please do something?
Javed Abidi
July 2002