While all were busy celebrating the Human Rights Day on Wednesday, around ten visually-challenged persons, including a woman, knocked at the door of the Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) over the lackadaisical attitude of the State Government in providing justice to them.
The visually-challenged persons, who were ill-treated and forcibly driven out of the building of the Odisha Association for the Blind here on January 17, are yet to get justice even after High Court’s intervention. They urged the rights panel either to ensure justice to them or allow them to die.
Submitting a memorandum to OHRC Acting Chairman Justice Bira Kishore Mishra, Bhagaban Pati and Prakash Mohapata who led the delegation alleged that alleged that their basic human rights are violated since the Odisha Association for the Blind forcibly drove nearly 10 blind persons away from the premises of the association building as they protested against an undemocratic election of the association office-bearers. Pati further alleged that though the High Court directed the concerned authorities and the police to take immediate measures to settle the issue, the police are yet to take up the issue.
“We urged the commission either to protect our basic human rights or allow us to die,” added Pati. Odisha Disabled People’s Network State coordinator Sannyas Kumar Behera also slammed the State authorities for their apathetic attitude towards the visually-challenged people.