During Ramadan, when we as Muslims are said to be closer to Allah, the Quran, and the traditions, we introspect. Sometimes we change habits – quit smoking, quit alcohol, quit slandering, and quit overall bad habits. We might think that these changes are good, but that is acceptable to a certain point. One way of observing Ramadan is by quitting watching television and music and using social media. We talk about ‘ the news’ on mass and social media as ‘ having a bad impact’ on our mental health, but how can we define its levels? Now I am not saying that everyone does not feel depression or anxiety or that the individual does not feel its other effects; instead, I recognize that marginalized groups have been labeled as bad an impact as ‘ the news’ has. Growing up as a disabled person in a 24-hour news cycle and an era of peaked populism, I understand that the cause of helping persons with disabilities might not be ‘ the new sexy’ as it used to be within the 80s or 90s with the ADA law being passed in the US and the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (UK) now replaced by the Equality act of 2010 and 2012.
Despite our best efforts in GB, which is on the ground, society has not accepted the inclusive model, be it in education, government, and other sectors. However, if you add private investment, which Farhan mentions in his last article, GBGM can use these resources to train persons with disablities and start getting them active in the workforce. Therefore, though we might criticize the government, the reality is that it is a social inequity in society rather than a governmental issue/fault. Not taking any blame away from the governments of Gilgit Baltistan; however, when there has not been enough private investment in the region surrounding the cause of persons with disablities, one can not merely blame the government. Expanding on Farhan’s AGA analogy, until you have private investment, the cause of disabled rights will be non-existent. I take this pessimistic view as all parties, the PTI, PPP and PMLN have shown a resistance to implement its acts on Persons with Disablities.
Therefore we need your donations. I would like to emphasize that no investment or donation is small, but a willingness to help us is great within itself. If there are any more questions, please message or email me. I would like to emphasize that no investment or donation is small, but a willingness to help us is great within itself. If there are any more questions, please message or email me. Donate to GBGM today.
