Prasanna Kumar Pincha

New Delhi, Feb. 19: He hates words such as “handicapped” and “differently abled” being mindlessly bandied about in these “politically correct” times. He would rather be simply called “the blind gentleman”.

Prasanna Kumar Pincha, the newly appointed chief commissioner for persons with disability under the social justice ministry, was born just that — “blind”, as he puts it. The first person with disability to sit in the chair, Pincha says such words are a creation of a hypocritical society.

“Can you tell me any two persons who are similarly able? I say wherever necessary and relevant you can call me a blind gentleman. That I am blind is a fact and it is part of the diversity of mankind,” he says.

Founding principal of Jorhat Blind School, Pincha was appointed to the secretary-rank post when he was serving as a special rapporteur (persons with disabilities) of the National Human Rights Commission. Not that there weren’t roadblocks — a senior contender had written to the government opposing his appointment because he was blind.

But Pincha now brings hope to the disabled millions who are awaiting a new disability law. A panel of experts tasked with drawing up the law has sought his opinion on the draft legislation.

“The biggest problem a disabled person faces is attitudinal. People shouldn’t equate one’s disability with inability — this makes the person believe that he or she is only capable of being a passive recipient of benefits. There is a deeply entrenched belief in our society that a disabled person needs charity and pity. This needs to change, and I have devoted my life to this cause.”

A self-sufficient man, Pincha’s laptop and cellphone read out his messages and email, thanks to technology. “I believe that nothing under the sun is more authentic than your own experience. When I was young, when guests came over, they asked my siblings about a variety of things — education, sports and movies. But they asked me only to sing, as if that was the only thing I was good at. I was a good singer but I never pursued it,” said Pincha, with a shrug.

“I knew I had to be much more than that. I studied in a blind school in Calcutta, then did my LLB in Assam, where I used to record my lectures on tapes, hear them and then re-record on those tapes since they were expensive.”

At 60, Pincha has over 30 years’ experience with the government and non-government sectors. He says he is working towards a world where every person with disability would lead a productive life of honour and dignity.

“Certain amendments are needed in the Constitution before a law can be passed on disability issues. I hear complaints of rights violations and discrimination in my courtroom every day and my duty is to see that the rights of persons with disability are safeguarded,” says Pincha.

Pincha says his office is severely short-staffed and there is a huge backlog of cases. A big problem is that only 13 states have a full-time commissioner with independent charge for persons with disability. In the others, the secretary of social welfare has additional charge of the department.

It is imperative that a disabled person is chosen as one of the 12 members nominated to the Rajya Sabha, he says.

PINCHA’S DEMANDS

The Constitution must include “disability” as a prohibitive ground of discrimination under Article 15

The Constitution should have provision for reservation in jobs in public institutions for persons with disability

The Constitution should recognise sign language as a language and Braille as a script

The word “handicap” should be replaced with the words “persons with disability” in the Constitution

There should be provision for reserving seats for persons with disability in Parliament, legislatures and local self-governance institutions

Disability should be brought under the concurrent list.