Hyderabad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been criticised for seemingly cracking a joke about a political rival while a student was speaking about a scheme for children suffering from dyslexia.
At the Smart India Hackathon 2019, Mr Modi asked a participant who was explaining a programme that could help dyslexic children who face reading and writing difficulties, if the programme would help a 40 or 50 year old student too. When she said it would, the PM replied that it would make the mothers of such children happy.
This hasn’t gone down well with the National Platform for the Rights of the Disabled, which held Mr Modi's remark to be disrespectful and insensitive of dyslexics.
In a statement, the NPRD demanded that Mr Modi apologise to persons with disabilities for his remark.
The statement said that under no circumstances should the PM have made such a remark. “It displays scant respect for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and according to the Act 2016, it constitutes an offence.”
Dyslexia is a learning disorder where the person has problems in reading, writing and arithmetic. It is also accompanied by hyper sensitivity. Ms Pooja Jha Nair, founder and director of Intervention for Centre with Learning Problems, said, “The actual incidence (of dyslexia) in India is two per cent. But when we combine it with all the disorders of hyperactivity, it is 15 per cent. The diagnosis is presently a challenge as there is no visible disability.”
She said the diagnosis and certification were tedious which made it difficult for parents to follow up even if the problem was identified.
A senior doctor on condition of anonymity said, “Taking a dig at people with disabilities is not correct. At a public function with students and media it sends a very wrong message. These people always feel the pinch and suffer from low confidence at work. They have been teased most of their school life by classmates for being slow learners. If the country’s head mocks them in public it is sending a wrong message.”
