Dear Editor,
I applaud Mr Paul Fraser for coming to the rescue of a handicapped man who was allegedly assaulted by a minibus driver on the East Bank road, and wish to congratulate David Ramnarine (ag) Commissioner of Police for placing the driver before the court. Being a disabled person myself, I feel the pain of this man. It is a shame to learn a soldier of the GDF sat there in the said minibus without doing anything to arrest the situation. How can we expect soldiers like these in uniform to defend our country, if they cannot defend a man with one arm in these circumstances?
I am surprised that the Commission for Disabled People did not raise their voice; it is well known how the disabled are being treated in our country. Mr Paul Fraser displayed tremendous courage in standing firm and at the same time taking the initiative to see that justice is served by going with the handicapped man to the Providence police station and giving a statement. In my opinion this was professional conduct.
In today’s world there is no respect and regard for handicapped people. I have seen it in my daily life; people treat you like a piece of dirt. For me the disability act which was passed in parliament is just another pappy show; it does not protect the rights of the differently abled and disabled people. Worst of all the commission for disabled people is rubber stamp; it would always be silent on issues affecting us.
The question is how do we deal on a long-term basis with bullyism and discrimination against, and marginalization of the handicapped in Guyana. These are some hard questions for the Government of Guyana, the Ministry of Health, the Disability Commission and the Police Force. Preying on and assaulting those in our country who suffer from disabilities should not be tolerated by the Guyana Police Force. Every day the handicapped in this country are faced with difficult challenges and they don’t know who to turn to for help; their rights have been mocked and are cynically violated; our integrity and self respect have been undermined.
Yours faithfully,
Mohamed Khan
