Life in London 5

A wonderful time has passed by : with all the fun and work gone high: thinking of globalization, social policy, a bit of finance and economics. Studying at LSE was indeed a great experience enabling me to think out of the box (development & development) ) – perhaps now I have a % more understanding of globalization, finance, economics and politics.

It is great being in Europe- I have all the freedom to travel independently in London – what I mean is walking down the streets with out bumping into polls or being scared of dogs chasing my white cane, taking the tube where ever I wanted – a zigzag around the city under ground!!! A great social life meeting friends. Of course to mention had loads of time to reflect on myself and working on my own personality. –

What i like:

• Freedom of moving from my flat near Goodge Street to the tube.
• Taking the tube where ever I want around – Now I know most of London.
• Sticking to time – my sense of time management has improved drastically.
• Lets C europe – out of London almost every week end – Paris, Brussels, Geneva, Francford, Madrid, Budapest, Luxembourg, Glasgow, Edinborough, and so on.
• Social life with friends – some thing or the other was there to do every evening

What did I pick up new :

• Hot chocolate and fish & chips – a daily dose of hot chock let would keep me going
• More addiction to internet than ever
• Reading financial times
• Eating lots of carrets
• Great friendships

What I can’t forget :

• Going up ALPS
• Meeting my class mate from MCC in Luxembourg
• Traveling alone in Europe where I did not understand the language!!! Might have been lost for ever!!!
• Getting back home with out any help every day especially in the middle of the night.
• Spending time with friends every evening.
• Cooking.- rice, dhall and eggs – perhaps I am a good cook now – cooked for friends and even my uncle .


GuruBhai

LONDON 4

UK and the rest of Europe

Even though the UK is a part of the EU they like to be different

1. Schengan – The UK are not a part of schengan they do not allow free movement of services in Europe!
2. Electric plug: The UK has a square plugging system as against a round plug for the rest of Europe!
3. Time : The UK follows GMT and the most of Europe including Spain and Portugal though south west follow a different time!
4. Sink : All sinks for washing in the kitchen have 2 taps for hot and cold water as against one in rest of Europe!
5. Currency : pounds and Euro
6. Transport : In the UK driving is on the left whilst in rest of Europe it’s on the right!
7. Tubes : traveling on the tube is expensive in the UK when compared to rest of Europe!


They are different umm!!!

GuruBhai

LONDON 3

Then and now – how globalization works in my life:


4 years ago on December 15th I woke up to hear the sound of children playing in the fields and sound of a Hindi song cracking through a loud speaker in a small village in central India. Today I wake up on the 9th floor of a flat in central London. What is common is that in 2004 I woke up to listen to the BBC world service on my short wave radio and today I wake up to listen to the same BBC world service from my laptop how globalization works (1). That day I used the same kind of tooth brush, same brand of soap, same brand of jeans and t-shirt of course from some other country – guess it was Ethiopia and today I am wearing a Geneva t-shirt. Using the same Nokia brand mobile perhaps a much more High-Tec one how globalization works (2). Then I had to walk down to another village to call from a land line to my office folks and friends and mom today I am talking to the same people calling cheep from a mobile phone from London How globalization works (3). There was no internet or laptop which I owned then, today can’t live without one!!! How globalization works (4).

GuruBhai

Life in London 2 :

14 to run :

this is my experience of traveling in London between Holborn and Goodge Street between 3 – 6 PM ::::
An account of how many people had to marathon with me within 3 hours, for me to achieve my target!!!

I set off from LSE to meet some one at Hill martin road at 3 PM : My friend from class dropped me to the tube station (1)
The station staff at the tube station guided me to the tube (2),
I got off at Caledonian Road and again the station staff assisted me to the bus stop near by (3),
The bus driver told me where to get off (4),
I got off and requested for help to cross the street (5),
Walked down and at the next bus stop again asked for assistance to reach house number 404 (6),
Then my friend there dropped me back to the bus stop (7),
Again, the bus driver told me when to get off (8),
A lady helped me to cross the street (9),
I then walked down the street, asked for help to reach the super bazaar (10),
Asked for assistance at the shop (11),
He dropped me outside then I walked to the tube, met a man who guided me to the tube (12),
The tube staff assisted me to the tube (13),
Reached Goodge Street station staff helped me out (14),

Just thought
All these people gave me 2 to 4 minutes of their precious time in the day, without which achieving my target would have been difficult : at the same time I only dream is, if the city was more friendly where I could walk around with freedom life would have been much easier???

This was the first time I encountered 14 people within 3 hours for support. Without which I guess this journey would have been completed in 9 hours or I would have ended in hospital.

Cheers

Guru Bhai

life in London 1

Some comparisons of living in London and Delhi as a visually impaired person:

1. The payments are so clean enabling me to walk with my white cane; I seldom bump into trees, poles or need to navigate ditches which I often need to do in Delhi.- Often walk on the streets or road in Delhi.
2. The curbs on the footpath are so clearly laid out and even have warning tiles at each end for me to know when the road ends or begins.- no payments in delhi so there is no question of warning tiles:
3. The tube system is so friendly that I get assistance at the stations to board and unboard the tube. - Need to seek for help in Delhi.
4. No dogs on the streets to bark at my cane.
5. Tubes and busses have announcements of the stops so makes it easier to know when to get off – need to always ask co-passengers in Delhi.
6. Staff at the super bazaars support me in picking what ever I need from the shop. – do not get often in Delhi.
7. Got reading material from the parliament house in both audio format and in Braille – can’t think of one in Delhi.
8. Systems for cooking are simple. - Use of heating system and micro wave.
9. There are different cultural and artistic groups for visually impaired people where one can participate.
10. Banks don't ask for too many questions : can easily withdraw cash.
11. Generally public are helpful.

Guru Bhai

Philosophical deo

It is Sunday evening and the raise of the bright sun is hitting my back as I am standing at the Madhupur railway station waiting for the train to Delhi. The train is half an hour late and as per the anounsement will pull into platform 2 with in a few minutes. Pankaj Da from Judav is with me and has come to drop me to the train. I asked him “is the train coming” “yes replied he, its just arrived” I strain my years to hear the rattle of the train. “It’s slow” “yes just 100 meters away”. ….. He dropped me to the door of the coach A3 and I bid thanks and good bye. As Now my task was to find my seat (24) – I asked the people sitting on the first cubical, got no response, asked the people in the next cubical, “what number is this” a lady responded “43” so I realized I was on the other side of the compartment. I now decided that I will walk up to the other end of the cabin and count from 1 to reach 24 as I generally do. So walked up and counted the bunks, 6 – 12 – 18- 24 so there am I on my seat – side upper. Being little unhappy as I got a side seat I took my seat. – I herd some one opposite to my seat. I asked him “where are you going” He replied “delhi” ……. I was really unhappy with the side lower birth for my height and thought that the e-ticket that I was carrying mentioned A3 22 instead of A3 24. Indignantly I pulled out my ticket from the pile of papers in my bag and put it out to the gentleman asking him “please check if it states 22 or 24” I got no response – then slowly I put my hand out to the seat where he was sitting (it was empty) so a little embarrassed I tuck my ticket in quickly. After a few minutes the gentleman came back. This time he asked me “are you going to Delhi” “yes replied I” – He asked “you are working” - “yes I replied, I work for an NGO in Delhi” I asked him the same question “I am working in a cloth company” “Ia am from Kolkata” he replied. The train is half an hour late I asked – “no, must be around 15 minutes late he said” – “what time did you start from Kolkata” 2.05 he replied” Then he asked “you have any problem with your eyes” – “I am blind I replied” “totally” he asked “yes”- “no you must be able to see” – I laugh and replied “why should I lie regarding my blindness” – you are working in a company, you are perfect, you tell the time so you are joking he stated – I laughed and replied again “can’t blind people do all these things?” – Then you must be able to see a little “no, I replied” Then he asked me the time “how you see the time” I showed him my watch and asked him can you see the time in my watch? “yes” I opened my Braille watch and told him the time 6 PM. “amazing he sied” – “what is amazing about it, exclaimed I” By the time the attender came to serve the snacks – I told him that I am blind and requested him to let me know when ever you are giving food. – as the last time I traveled in Rajdhani 5 years ago I missed a few course of the meal as the attender did not know I was blind. My Philosophical deo then asked me “you are traveling in Rajdhani?” – “What about it, I asked” – “do you get concession?” “why should I get a concession said I” – no generally you get consession – “There is no consession system in rajdhani for any one” – “ you should have got” replied he – “not necessarily said I” – I then stopped the conversation and started listening to my book which I had carried and had my snacks. After reading the whole book now it is around 1130 PM and time to sleep. But as I go to bed I think that philosophical deo of mine might be thinking as to how a blind man can travel AC coach that too on a Rajdhani express as he went to bed or he might have taken me for an object of joke.

STRANGER

I am a stranger people say,
no not I the world,
I have lost my senses,
but I have come to stay.

baring the hot sun and shivering cold,
lay I by and by,
quenching my thirst and hunger,
till when know not I.

from where I hale is the past,
my destiny is not known,
know I not my name,
seek I no fame.

men come and men go,
perhaps I really don’t care,
devoid of all feelings,
no sorrow or joy to say.

come summer come winter,
nothing to me is fare,
a long cloth and my wear,
is all that I can share.

people tread on me,
a passion of belongingness,
no one of my own,
thoughts and aspirations.

time will come and time will go
I am a lay man you see
A million dream to show
DALIT is my name you know


In Solidarity

“Guru Bhai”

INCLUSIVE EDUCATION FROM POLICY TO PRACTISE

In an uncaring society which has earned a notorious global reputation for hypocritical piety and neglect of marginalised communities, there is an impinging reality of disabled people accessing the basic needs and rights in society to fulfill a life with dignity. It is estimated that 40% of over 70 million disabled people in India are children with disabilities. In absolute terms this translates to around 20 million disabled children in the age group 6-14 years and a startling fact is that 90% of them are out of school. India is one of the few countries in the world where a majority of disabled children do not receive any form of education.

Factors :

The ubiquitous cause for this is the negative attitude towards disabled people and lack of understanding of the education machineries to recognize the potentials of disabled people. Psychologically, the thinking is that disabled people are considered dependent, tragic; some one needing help and people who are not productive. This is coupled with the charity approach further alienating them. 82% of disabled people live in rural India and 70% of disabled people come from poor communities. Parents of children with disabilities from this large community have even more difficult choices, as they struggle to pay for medical treatment, special equipment and transport for the disabled child. Many parents, if they have 4 children, 1 of whom is disabled, will focus on sending the other 3 to school and not worry about getting the disabled child into school.

Over the decades, the approach of education for disabled children has been primarily towards special education, with over 3,000 special schools in India today. Of them, 900 are schools for the hearing impaired, 400 for children with visual impairment, and 700 for those with locomotor disabilities, and 1,000 for the intellectually disabled. Tragically, in a country where there is less than 10 braille press, only 33% of students in such schools have books in Braille or other accessible formats.

The persons with disabilities equal opportunities act 1995 provides for 3% reservation in all educational institutions for disabled children. It also provides for provision of education materials, transportation facilities and creation of barrier free environment. These services are dysfunctional in the country especially in rural India where there are no special schools and the door of the regular school being shut to disabled children.

Irony :

Keeping with the spirit of social justice and equity which are dominant sentiments of the Constitution of India the government launched the Sarva Siksha Abhayan (education for all) a campaign promoting education for all including children from the disadvantaged communities. In reality, this campaign has failed to reach out to disabled children largely in rural India; there is no disaggregated data of number of disabled children enrolled in regular schools. Lack of skills and knowledge of the teachers cuppled with the poor attitude has kept the children out. The most depressing fact is that even the funds allocated for disabled children under this programme is less than 1%.

Need of the hour :

With all these anomalies, there is a dire need to create more sensitivity in society as a whole to disability issues and to raise the awareness of community, public and the parents of disabled children about their rights and potential. Government policy, legislative actions, schemes and provisions for disabled people give the impression of a state that is committed to human rights and equal opportunities but in reality, there are no systems in place adapted particularly by the ministry of education to provide the infrastructure in all schools around the country to promote inclusion of disabled children into mainstream education processes. This in vogue is a blatant violation of the fundamental right to education of a sizable population who’s right to education is denied by virtue of them being disabled.

India has recently ratified the UNCRPD, Article 24 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with a Disability promotes; one education system that allows all children to receive a quality education. One set of standards for all children. The article also recognizes that the standards can be adapted where necessary and accommodation made with recognition that disability is not the same as having a special educational need.

There is a need for a holistic approach on this issue. We need to change the education system and approach to make it accessible to all children and prepare the society – public, parents and government missionaries to promote inclusive education for disabled children. There needs to be a greater accountability from both the civil society sector and government structures particularly at the primary school level and the ministry of education right from enrolment of disabled children to providing an appropriate environment for learning. Efferts should be towards building capacity of the teachers and officials in the education cadre in promoting inclusive education and particularly towards changing attitudes. A robust monitoring system needs to be set up to ensure enrolment of disabled children, creation of disaggregated data on the number of disabled children in every school, mobilization of accessible education materials, channelising of funds appropriately to create a barrier free environment and provision of transport facility. Finally, the response of the public in facilitating this process will enable the large disadvantaged population to access education.

Praveen Kumar G