Thousands of persons with disabilities took to Twitter, a leading micro-blogging site, to create a campaign for highlighting the financial hardships, they have been facing due to Coronavirus pandemic and urge the Indian Prime Minister to assist as promised by way of various schemes announced.
The campaign, titled Prime Minister Listen to Us, over 5,000 persons amplified their struggles and demands until the midnight hours of 7th June 2020. They drew attention to an 11-point charter that the organizers have been highlighting to the government for implementation.
The organizers said that the announcements by Prime Minister Narendra Modi had kindled hope for assistance by way of monitory transfers to the poorest in the wake of the massive lockdown and economic recession in the country, but persons with disabilities have not received much of the support.
“Various state governments told us that only those with more than 80 percent disability, between 18 and 79 years old, living Below the Poverty Line category and linked with the National Social Assistance Programme of the rural development ministry were entitled to receive the assistance.
We are feeling cheated as persons with disabilities have been worst-hit by the coronavirus-induced lockdown,” said the organizers in a release by Rashtriya Viklang Manch, a pan India forum for persons with disabilities.
