01-15 March 2020 The Asian Independent

2
01-03-2020 to 15-03-2020 ASIA
www.theasianindependent.co.uk
Bengaluru wheelchair
users seek public
SPACES TO RIDE
Bengaluru : Marking the International
Wheelchair Day on Sunday, around 70
wheelchair-bound specially-abled people
sought public spaces to use in this tech city.
"There is need create awareness on
wheelchair users' issues, such as access to
public spaces to ride in the city," said
Padmashri Malathi Holla, a wheelchairbound
evangelist for equal rights of specially-abled
people.
Arjuna awardee Malathi Holla, who represented
India in Paralympics, Asian
Games, World Masters and
Commonwealth Games, is the founder of
Mathru Foundation, a charitable trust for
people with disability. Around 300 people,
including volunteers and activists, participated
in the rally, organised by the Special
Educators and Rehab Professionals
(SERPA), a non-profit organisation, from
M.G. Road to Cubbon Park Metro station
to mark the day and highlight their issues.
"Creating awareness and accepting the specially-abled
people into our midst is the
first step to pave for access to public
spaces," said Uma Hrishi, organiser of the
rally. As wheelchair users with locomotor
disabilities face difficulty in moving, be in
offices or schools, on roads or footpaths in
cities across the country, Uma said it was
high time accessibility was made a part of
their daily routine.
Urging the government to provide
access to public places, including buses
and rest rooms, Karnataka Vikala Chethana
Samstha member Kiran Nayak from
Chikkaballapur town lamented that wheelchair
users were not even treated as normal
human beings. "In a cosmopolitan city like
Bengaluru, they (wheelchair users) can't
get onto footpaths, public places or even
into buses. The state government should
create access to public places by implementing
the Public Works Department
Act," said NGO Swaraj Abhiyan's president
Manhohar Elavarthi. Kannada cine
actor Premkavi Ramesh, who is starring in
a soon-to-be released movie "Wheelchair
Romeo", said the government should provide
wheelchairs of quality to the specially-abled
people than giving chairs used for
patients in hospitals. "They need wheelchairs
for daily use and not when they are
sick," Ramesh quipped.
Hindu-Muslim
amity amid deadly
Delhi violence
New Delhi : Even as northeast Delhi was reeling under the
deadly violence that continued for three days and claimed over
40 lives, some Hindu and Muslim communities showed unity
with Hindus coming forward to ensure the safety of Muslims.
While touring the violence hit areas, IANS learnt that only a
few Muslim families live in Brijpuri and the Hindu families living
here took the responsibility to ensure their safety.
Mahabir Singh, who has been residing in A-block of Brijpuri
for decades, told IANS: “The residents of the whole area were
in fear due to the violence instigated by the politicians.”
On BJP leader Kapil Mishra’s statement, he said there is nothing
wrong in the statement given by Mishra. “One community
was protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act while the
other was favouring it. The people protesting against it are misled,”
said Singh.
IANS also met a Muslim family residing in the area. Asiya
(70), the head of that family who has been residing in the area
for 16 years, said: “I was in my village when violence erupted
but I was not worried at all because people here have always
stood by us.” When asked about her age, she said she is just a
year elder to Modi. IANS also interacted with a joint family
from the Muslim community. Mehjabeen, a member of that family,
said: “We have been living here for the last 40 years. We
have celebrated all the festivals together whether Eid or Diwali.
The Hindu families living here assured us of safety.”
Another resident of this area, Adil said: “I have been living
here for more than 15 years with my family. I knew that nothing
would happen to my life or family because I knew irrespective
of their religion, all of them are our brothers and sisters.
“We were living peacefully here. We have nothing in our
hearts against each other. Both the communities irrespective of
religion, guarded the colony,” he added. People living in the area
said that the area was untouched by the fiery clashes because
communal harmony and unity prevails here.
Team AI :
Devinder Chander
Editor-in-chief
Columnists
V.B. Rawat
Farzana Suri
Arun Kumar
Rahul Kumar
Harminder K. Bhogal
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HK police arrest 115 over protest violence
Hong Kong : Hong Kong police on
Sunday said they had arrested 115 people
after a night of chaos that marked
the first major outbreak of anti-government
protest violence since the start of
the coronavirus crisis in the city.
Seventy-one men and 44 women,
aged 15 to 54, were detained on suspicion
of taking part in unauthorised
assemblies, possession of offensive
weapons and instruments fit for unlawful
purpose, arson, attacking police officers
and obstructing them in the execution
of their duties, reports the South
China Morning Post newspaper.
The incident in Mong Kok occurred
on Saturday night after about 100 protesters
gathered to block Nathan Road,
marking six months since major clashes
on August 31, 2019. The crowd grew in
size later into the night.
According to the police, protesters
threw bricks, stones, bamboo sticks and
other hard objects at an officer, who
pulled out his gun as he believed his life
was in danger. The officer suffered
injuries to his head, arms and legs, while
another policeman was also attacked
with bricks, and sustained injuries to his
arms.
Police had arrived at the scene at
around 8 p.m. and used non-lethal
weapons to disperse the crowds and
clear the roadblock near Prince Edward
MTR station, firing about 10 rounds of
tear gas, said the South China Morning
Post report.
A fire was set on the road, but firefighters
soon put it out.
Since June last year, Hong Kong has
been gripped by often-violent clashes
between anti-government protesters and
police, sparked by a piece of extradition
legislation which officials have since
withdrawn.
On August 31, 2019 the police
stormed Prince Edward station to chase
and arrest protesters, some of whom
were injured in the raid.
It sparked public concerns over
whether officers had used excessive
force.
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