Foreword by Shweta Rawat - RIST
Jhalak, A Glimpse, presents a window of insight into some beautiful stories about people living across India, who have overcome seemingly insurmountable odds to bring success, community and joy into their own lives and in the lives of their families and friends. Although I have been strongly committed to the well-being of people with disabilities, my desire to promote fundamental change in how people with developmental and psychosocial disability are seen and treated by others was ignited by a visit to a state mental hospital in Kolkata. I left with two rival powerful impressions – one is the inhumanity with which we as humans are capable of treating those we devalue. There are segments of our society forgotten about, rejected and discarded, and this is deeply felt when visiting such a place. My second impression was also instructive, especially when looking for a path forward. I had the chance to meet people engaged in a rare endeavour at such places. This was the creation of a bright space of hope within the bleak hospital environment- Dhobi Ghaat, a first of its kind initiative that empowers the people trapped for decades in that hospital to operate and manage a laundromat that caters to the people living in the hospital grounds. I was struck by the simple fact that some of the happiest faces in the hospital were the residents who were working here. Every individual there had a purpose, a job that they looked forward to every day. Here they could joke with their friends and bicker playfully about their work, but it was their work. Dignified work. Work that spoke to the possibilities still there, for a life that is fully lived. It was after that visit, etched in my heart and mind, that The Hans Foundation and Rural India Supporting Trust took a strong stance not only towards creating alternatives to such places, but also towards finding and investing in ways to encourage life-changing valued roles, to facilitate that very sense of purpose that the men and women I saw in that laundromat embody. Jhalak shines the light on the small changes, ones you might easily miss, that our joint work across India is yielding. These small changes are driven by new mind-sets, and a new understanding of disability itself as a part of the human condition. Much remains to be done, but we should take heart. India is on its way to glorious things. As the country frantically races ahead to establish itself as a super economy, we have to remember those who will so easily get left behind. Economic progress can and should not overlook social progress. The ideas of person-centred planning and Social Role Valorization (SRV) promote and encourage opportunity that is a human right of every individual. I am confident that the networks we have created across the country will grow and it is my dream that these practices will be localized and used even at the village level to help a person decide what is best for his or her life and how they envision contributing to society. Thank you for the opportunity to contribute to Jhalak. The stories you will read ahead will fill you with joy, as they are meant to do. It is important to remember that they could just as easily not have happened, but for the drive and dedication of organizations such as Keystone Institute and other partners across India. Shweta Rawat Chairperson Rural India Supporting Trust Page | 4
