Christmas is the time of joy and cheer, time to celebrate and cherish togetherness. On this festive occasion, while some pray and recall their saviour, mostly of us – children and adults – get together to rejoice with fun-filled activities, food, music and dance. On December 21,2021, all of us at Shishu Sarothi got together with some of the older students and alumni and their families, for a Pre-Christmas celebration.
In keeping with the prevalent Covid-19 situation, we had restricted invitations to vaccinated students and adults and only a few younger children & followed Covid-19 appropriate protocols to keep everyone safe. We also had some good friends and visitors in our midst and had a pleasant celebration singing carols, eating cake and dancing along with our own Santa Claus! The celebrations and good cheer that we shared and spread also made us reflect about children with disabilities in India, who are still routinely subject to multiple deprivations and limited opportunities that keep them out rather than in.
They are hardly ever included in public celebrations and routinely neglected and relegated to the back end of mainstream life. People with disabilities are subjected to unfair and ugly forms of discrimination due to stigma associated with disabilities, and children are often kept hidden away at homes, denied basic rights of mobility, education and training for employability. Viewed as dependent and burdensome, their existing vulnerabilities are compounded by chronic ill health, socio-economic travails and even destitution.
It is difficult to define the marginalization they face locked in rooms, institutionalized, living in isolation. Their situation is often perpetuated within families and frequently by social attitudes and stigma that limit their opportunities for full participation in social and economic life. The negative attitudes and cultural representations of disability in society have to be challenged by vigorous awareness-generation and attitudinal change strategies. The issue of disability must consciously move beyond superstitions and prejudices, into other discourses around development, access to health, education and politics, entertainment sports, fashion design and lifestyles.
At Shishu Sarothi, we try to ensure that children and persons with disabilities feel welcomed and included and we work towards enabling their fullest participation in all aspects of life. Krishangi Saikia, a budding content creator, with her own very popular YouTube channel “Toimoi Tales“, joined us in our pre Christmas celebrations this year. Krishangi came with her mother and brother Dugdug, who has a disability too. She shared their delight and joy of being with us in a relaxed, non judgemental and inclusive environment and has spoken about it on Toimoi Tales. Other guests present also spoke about the positivity and energy that they felt in Shishu Sarothi. We wish there were more such happy welcoming places in the world, where we accept and respect everyone for who they are. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!