Even though the disabled have had a strong and regular presence in the movement, it was the first time that the movement put the most vulnerable group on the spotlight, stated the campaigners. [break]
“Occupy Baluwatar began as a movement against violence against women and the clumsy way our government functions. But every Friday we try to make it more special or focused and this time it was to highlight the issues of the disabled women who are, naturally, the most vulnerable group,” stated a youth activist Jagannath Lamichhane.
With placards that called for a violence free society, around 35 girls and women, many of whom could not speak clearly or even respond to others well, showed their presence in front of the prime minister´s quarter in Baluwatar. All of them were accompanied by their relatives as it was not possible for them to reach the spot alone.
After her daughter played madal, a Nepali drum, in front of so many people, her mother, Subarna Keshari, president of mentally disabled women´s vocational training center, could not hold back her tears.
“My daughter is 35 years old. She cannot talk well and move around on her own,” she said. “However, she has been playing madal since a long time and I feel so proud when she does that,” Keshari added.
The audience was equally moved when a group of artistes, including many disabled women, performed a lyrical drama highlighting the plight of disabled women who have been victims of violence.
The six-minute show was written and directed by Kritika, a professional theater group.
According to general secretary of National Federation of Disabled Tika Dahal, disabled women are most susceptible to violence and yet neither the media nor the government has shown any interest in them. “In case of mentally or physically disabled women, many of them are repeatedly victimized by the same person and yet there is little they can do about it. Both the society and the state ignores them,” she said.
Ishan Nakarmi, a youth campaigner with Occupy Baluwatar, stated that the movement would go on for at least another 45 days and by that time it would definitely bring together many groups of people to press for justice and the improvement in the system as a whole.
“There is both short- and long-term goal of the movement. The youths are joining the movement as they believe that this is an opportunity to pressurize the government to correct the system,” he said.
Occupy Baluwatar movement was triggered one-and-half month ago demanding justice for Sita Rai, who was robbed and raped by officials at the Tribhuvan International Airport.
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