Raw deal for the mentally handicapped

The National forum for the welfare of the mentally handicapped in collaboration with Thakur Hari Prasad Institute of Research and Rehabilitation for the mentally handicapped and organized the X1th world congress of international League of societies for persons wit mental Handicapped (ILSMH), which is a consultant to united national and UNICEF among other international organization, in New Delhi from November 20 to 27 last year. The ILSMH represent 172 member societies functioning in 102 countries.
The congress was attended by delegates from these 102 countries. In its 26 business session, the delegates discussed community based rehabilitation, human rights employment, education, early intervention and various therapies to come with 10 recommendation, titled, “Delhi Declaration.
The Delhi Declaration said that mentally handicapped persons (i) have the same rights as others and for long they have been denied their rights; (ii) are vulnerable to all kinds of discriminations; (iii) and their families should be guaranteed of their rights; (iv) and members of their families should be in the policy and decision making body to ensure positive role and improvement in public understanding of their problems; (v) need the national and local institutions’ support; (vi) can make positive contributions to the society depending on appropriate support; (vi) can make positive contributions to the society depending on appropriate support; (vii) can benefit only if all conversed work in close partnership; (ix) will benefit by “standard rules on equalization of opportunities for disabled persons” formed by the UN and it should be implemented by al governments.
What baffles one is why about one crore of rupees has to be colleted or spent to bring together 900 delegates from all over the world to draft these 10 points. Of these 900 delegates, it is estimated that over 500 were foreign delegates and a majority of them were parents interestingly, the remaining were primarily Indian professionals sponsored by the Central and State government and Government-aided non-governmental organizations. Only about 50 parents, who were by and large sponsored by the national Institute for the mentally handicapped, Ministry of Welfare, were the Indian parents who attended it.
How could it be a Rs one crore affair? The registration fee for the delegates was Rs 3,000 or US $300 till August 1994 and thereafter it was Rs 4,000 or US $400. Considering that over 900 delegates participated in the congress, the fee alone should have contributed about Rs 60 lakh. A confessional fee ahs been charged from the mentally handicapped delegates, second member of a family and certain other categories and therefore the sum many be slightly less. The Central Government which described the world congress as “private affair” only in 1992, has now reported to have contributed Rs 24 lakh through its Ministry Of Health and family welfare and another Rs 7 lakh through its Ministry of Welfare, Besides the national institutes have sent delegates and taken space for exhibition of their achievements for which they have paid a heavy amount. Therefore event if is not a “Rs, 1 crore affair”, it is certainly “around Rs 1 crore affair”.
At present there is no law that it exclusively applicable to the mentally handicapped persons in India. The central government has replaced the Indian lunatics Act 1912, which was applied to the mentally handicapped also by a new act known as the mental health act 1986. But this Act is silent about the mentally handicapped. Hence now the mentally handicapped persons are neither protected by any special act nor are entitled to the normal rights available to all, as most of the other acts like Contract. The absence of vocal parents in the congress, thanks to the organizers who fixed a probity registration fee, came as a blessing is disguise, the indifference of media also came as a strong support. Otherwise in this international forum the entire world would have come to know deplorable and pathetic conditions of the mentally handicapped in India.
According to a number of estimates including that of the National Samples Survey which conducted a stratified survey, the mentally handicapped population should be around 27 lakshs.
The publication specially brought out for the congress by the national institute fore the mentally handicapped reveals that we have about 482 institutions with 5,309 professionals who serve 18,289 mentally handicapped in India. Most of these institutions are in Maharashtra, Kerela and Karnataka, it also shows that a considerable amount goes in supporting man-power and technology development. However so far only 32 institutions are there to train 600 special education teachers, every year.
The national scene clearly reveals that the mentally handicapped urgently need social acceptance and a living particularly after the death of the parents.
The few parents who attended the congress in the hope that they would find solutions to their mentally handicapped children’s problem, came out of anything concrete was announced by he Welfare Ministry which was responsible for the present potable plight of the mentally handicapped.
Surprisingly, the media person were not allowed to cover the deliberations. Most of the Indian delegates who attended the congress were tight lipped about the details of the deliberations inside. Everybody including the ministry officials suggested approaching the Hyderabad-based chairman of the organizing committee, Dr Thakur V  Hari Prasad, almost indicating that the congress was his show. Some of them on conditions of anonymity, said that in this case an independent audit should be conducted which would helps in diverting the savings. If any, to right cause; particularly in opening one or two homes which is need of the hour in Delhi. Since almost all the survives were rendered at a price so much so that even the pamphlet containing list of participants was priced at Rs 50 considerable savings are not ruled out, they added.
It is unfortunate that a nation which does not care to get an authentic figure of the population of the mentally handicapped which is essential for any welfare plan for them, or for the last three full years does not find time to get one or two helpful bills the persons with mental retardation and cerebral Palsy bill (1991) and board for welfare protection of rights of handicapped bill (1991) passed from the parliament, should readily agree to grant more than Rs 30 lakh for a Jambori which according to them was, anyway, a private affair.
The indifference of the media and impotence of the very who are at vanguard in this field will only further embolden the people at the helms of welfare so fool the parents of the mentally handicapped. It is high time that the cause of the mentally handicapped is taken in right earnest and the government guarantees social and legal security to them.