Abul Hussain is not like other ordinary persons. What makes him extraordinary is his determination, commitment, strength of mind and his sense of dignity. Abul Hussain never stood on his feet, never walked on this earth but he has made hundreds of people of Assam to stand on their feet by making them empowered through income generation. That’s why Abul Hussain believes that he is handicapped but not disable. He could do what many able bodies cannot do. Abul’s answer to those who taunt him as a handicapped man is: ‘if I can generate income for hundreds of people how can you call me disable? I am abled but may be differently’.
Abul Hussain belongs to Dhula village situated near Mangaldai of Darrang district, Assam. He has formed an association called Dhula Physically Handicapped Association and he is the current chief executive. Abul is a self created man. His early life was full of misery. Born in a low income family, Abul had no choice but to work hard in order to continue his study. He worked since his childhood as daily wager or sometimes doing odd jobs at neighbors’ house. ‘I used to cultivate leased lands in drought times as otherwise lands were not available to me. I used to cultivate jute and vegetable. Later I trained others about how to grow vegetable and jute in drought season’. Meanwhile, Abul passed 10th standard and then completed a course on homeopathy through distant education system. This diploma in homeopathy was his main source of income to maintain the family and for himself.
Abul Hussain
Being concerned about the cursed lives of fellow disabled people, Abul decided to help others and formed Dhula Physically Handicapped Development Association in 1990 and began a struggle for the rights of the disabled people. He started vocational training courses for disabled people. In this organization people learnt dress making, radio and clock repairing etc. As a result hundreds of disabled people became empowered and started earning their livelihood. Meanwhile Abul also started a school for the dumb and deaf children and also arranged for a hostel for such students. Today the school has 38 teaching and non teaching staff and thousands of students already passed out from here.
At present Abul Hussain’s organization trains both disable and able. In last 20 years more than twenty thousand people were benefitted by the initiatives of Abul Hussain. Sometimes loans are also arranged for the passed out students. The courses offered by the association at present are tailoring, cutting and embroidery, cane and bamboo industries training, computer, carpentry, TV and radio repairing and type writing.
Today Abul is a happy man to see the change in lives of many ones like him. Sitting is his three wheeled chair he is busy from dawn to dusk and looking after the activities of the association. Abul has also received an award in 2008 from the Ministry of Human Resource Development. The Ministry also helped the association with financial aid. Abul Hussain urged all persons with disability to come forward and start working and proceed to success. He has become a role model for many and has already built a movement for dignity for the persons with disability.
It is to be noted here that the National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People’s Disability Law Unit (DLU) – North East in Shishu Sarothi, a leading N.G.O. working for children with cerebral palsy in Assam, in a report dated October 15, 2005 found huge discrepancy in Census figures regarding the disabled population in the North East region. It was reported that the actual number was revealed by the C.B.R. Network (N.G.O.). As per the Census there are 5,30,300 disabled people in Assam, whereas C.B.R. Network (N.G.O.) figures indicate 17,79,968. In Arunachal Pradesh there are 33,315 persons with disabilities while there are 72,908 as per C.B.R. Network data. The same is the case with Manipur (28,3756 persons with disabilities -Census 2000; 1,59,608 as per C.B.R. Network data), Mizoram (16,011 persons with disabilities – Census 2000; 59,540 as per C.B.R. Network), Meghalaya (28,803 disabled persons – Census 2000; 1,54,091 as per C.B.R. Network), Nagaland (2,26,499 persons with disabilities – Census; 1,32,880 as per C.B.R. Network) and Tripura (58,940 persons with disabilities – Census 2000; 2,13,233 as per C.B.R. Network).
India is a state party to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2008 and has undertaken the obligation of amending its laws in conformation with the provisions of the Convention. Parties to the Convention are required to promote, protect and ensure the full enjoyment of human rights by persons with disabilities and ensure that they enjoy full equality and dignity under the law.
Ref : http://twocircles.net/