Para-Athlete Suvarna Raj forced to Sleep on Train Floor
A day after medal-winning para-athlete Suvarna Raj was allegedly forced to sleep on the floor of a train, Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu has ordered an inquiry into the way she was treated. The 34-year-old wheelchair-bound athlete was denied a berth convenient for people with disabilities in the Nagpur- Nizamuddin Garib Rath Express despite repeated requests.
Ms Raj, who was allotted an upper berth on the Nagpur-Delhi train, had to sleep on the floor of the train after failing to get a lower berth on Saturday. “When I asked fellow passengers to exchange seat with me, they refused bluntly,” added the disability rights activist. Speaking to media, she had said, “I want to meet Rail Minister Suresh Prabhu and tell him about the problems we have to face while travelling in trains.”
Replying to Ms Raj’s comments, Minister Prabhu posted a statement from his official account on Tweeter stating “Have ordered an inquiry into the issue. We are serious about ensuring smooth travel for Divyangs”. In response, Ms Raj tweeted, “I don’t want any inquiry, I want a permanent solution for persons with disabilities.”
Associated with the activism for 12 years, Ms Raj represents India in para table tennis. She has won two medals at the Thailand Para Table Tennis Open in the year 2013. She also represented Yogendra Yadav’s party Swaraj India in the recently-held Municipal Corporation of Delhi or MCD elections. She had contested from Babarpur area in North-east Delhi.
Indian railways authorities have been embroiled in controversies on earlier occasions too. A couple of months ago, Bombay High Court had instructed railways to compensate a woman who lost both her legs while boarding a train. Similar complaints have come about airlines too. Last year, the Supreme Court ordered domestic carrier Spice-Jet to pay a compensation of Rs.10 lakh to an activist, Jeeja Ghosh. Ms Ghosh, who has cerebral palsy, was offloaded from a plane four years ago.
