Efforts of Karnataka
State Commission for Persons with Disabilities to probe complaints on
Thursday were allegedly stymied by officials of the National Association
for the Blind. The commission is contemplating recommending to state
government that it take over
On a training programme in Mysore, a resident of the Karnataka chapter of the National Association for the Blind (NAB), the well-known NGO which receives substantial aid from various government bodies, claims that a staff member took her to a lodge where he sexually abused her. Another inmate alleges she was sexually abused in NAB's campus in Jeevanbhimanagar. These are two incidents in a string of complaints levelled against staff by residents of the NGO.
Residents say they had brought the issue of sexual abuse and harassment at the hands of staff to the notice of NAB authorities, but no action has been taken.
A complaint was then sent to the Karnataka State Commission for Persons with Disabilities (KSCPD) last month. Alarmed, the commission, a statutory body, decided to investigate.
On Thursday, officials of the commission landed on the doorstep of the NGO, which is home to about 60 (about 20 of them women) visually challenged persons, to begin their probe. They had planned to hear for themselves and record testimony of the residents.
However, they claim they were turned away by the management. The commission is now planning stringent action including filing a police complaint and getting the government to appoint an administrator to run the NGO.
K S Rajanna, commissioner, KSPCD, told Bangalore Mirror that his office had received a number of complaints from residents against NAB "in the recent past". Most of the complaints pertained to sexual harassment by staff members. In some cases, even physically challenged women employees were allegedly sexually abused by staff.
On Thursday, commission officials had asked NAB, which has been rehabilitating the blind in the state since 1977, to submit details regarding its staff, activities, functioning and facilities provided to residents both male and female, information on staff deputed to cater to the needs of the physically challenged at the NGO, details of its financial accounts and details of programmes for the physically challenged. NAB reportedly promised that the documents will be sent to commission's office by evening. But instead, the commission received an email from NAB officials, questioning the authority of the commission to probe its affairs.
"The commission is a statutory authority and has powers to look into any kind of harassment meted out to disabled persons," Rajanna said. "The email which we received from NAB questioning our authority shows that NAB has something to hide. We will write to the government (principal secretary, women and child welfare department) seeking permission to take further action against NAB. If the investigation concludes that there is truth in the complaints against NAB, a criminal case will be booked against staff."
Rajanna says that if an administrator — a government nominee — is appointed, NAB will fall in line and co-operate with the probe. "Complaints of inmates and physically challenged staff being sexually harassed by other staff are serious charges," Rajanna said. "If the complaints were merely about financial irregularities or other petty matters, the commission would not have taken a serious stand.
Sexual harassment complaints need to be addressed quickly. If not, it amounts to miscarriage of justice."
The commission had expected a number of residents to testify how they were sexually abused in a one-on-one interaction with commission officials. "That was the main purpose of our visit, but our efforts were stonewalled by vested interests," a commission official said. "NAB is a well-known NGO which receives substantial support from the government and other agencies. This trust should not be misused. NAB should allow us to conduct a probe and take action against the culprits."
Another official said, "Blind students who have been sexually assaulted cannot identify the perverts. They can only explain their pain. It is our duty to protect them and create a safe and secure environment at NAB."
MISMANAGEMENT The commission has received other complaints of mismanagement. Residents and some staff members have written to the commission seeking its intervention in several issues including bye-law violation, flouting the memorandum of association and rules and regulations governing NAB, irregularities in administration and ill-treatment to residents.
Social activists too have joined the fight on the side of the residents. "It is a sad case of fence eating the crop," said Ranjita Bharati, a former volunteer of the NGO who is now facilitating meetings between residents and the commission. "Instead of acting as guardians, staff are sexually harassing them. There are several other charges that have been brought against NAB. These include misuse of funds, violations in the election process to elect the governing council and abuse of power by senior staff."
'TAKE STRICT ACTION' Other associations which work to uplift the physically challenged are also urging the commission to take action against the NGO. "The issue has come to our notice and we have urged the state commissioner for the disabled to file a police complaint and appoint a government administrator,"Jaykumar Hiremath, organising secretary, Helen Keller Association for Physically Challenged told Bangalore Mirror . "Safety of physically challenged women, especially the blind, in NGOs is a serious issue and has to be addressed by the commission. We have also decided to take it up with the chief minister."
NAB REFUTES CHARGES M Sreenivas, chief executive officer of NAB-K refuted the charges. He claimed that an employee was dismissed from the service in the past when sexual harassment charges were levelled against him.
"There is no such thing (sexual harassment) happening here and no such thing has come to our knowledge," Sreenivas said. "In the past, when we heard that such a thing had happened, we dismissed the staff. We took quick action. There is no such thing for the last one and half years. We welcome any probe in this regard. We are co-operating with the Karnataka State Commission for Disabled Persons."
National Association for the Blind premises in Jeevanbhimanagar
On a training programme in Mysore, a resident of the Karnataka chapter of the National Association for the Blind (NAB), the well-known NGO which receives substantial aid from various government bodies, claims that a staff member took her to a lodge where he sexually abused her. Another inmate alleges she was sexually abused in NAB's campus in Jeevanbhimanagar. These are two incidents in a string of complaints levelled against staff by residents of the NGO.
Residents say they had brought the issue of sexual abuse and harassment at the hands of staff to the notice of NAB authorities, but no action has been taken.
A complaint was then sent to the Karnataka State Commission for Persons with Disabilities (KSCPD) last month. Alarmed, the commission, a statutory body, decided to investigate.
On Thursday, officials of the commission landed on the doorstep of the NGO, which is home to about 60 (about 20 of them women) visually challenged persons, to begin their probe. They had planned to hear for themselves and record testimony of the residents.
However, they claim they were turned away by the management. The commission is now planning stringent action including filing a police complaint and getting the government to appoint an administrator to run the NGO.
K S Rajanna, commissioner, KSPCD, told Bangalore Mirror that his office had received a number of complaints from residents against NAB "in the recent past". Most of the complaints pertained to sexual harassment by staff members. In some cases, even physically challenged women employees were allegedly sexually abused by staff.
On Thursday, commission officials had asked NAB, which has been rehabilitating the blind in the state since 1977, to submit details regarding its staff, activities, functioning and facilities provided to residents both male and female, information on staff deputed to cater to the needs of the physically challenged at the NGO, details of its financial accounts and details of programmes for the physically challenged. NAB reportedly promised that the documents will be sent to commission's office by evening. But instead, the commission received an email from NAB officials, questioning the authority of the commission to probe its affairs.
"The commission is a statutory authority and has powers to look into any kind of harassment meted out to disabled persons," Rajanna said. "The email which we received from NAB questioning our authority shows that NAB has something to hide. We will write to the government (principal secretary, women and child welfare department) seeking permission to take further action against NAB. If the investigation concludes that there is truth in the complaints against NAB, a criminal case will be booked against staff."
Rajanna says that if an administrator — a government nominee — is appointed, NAB will fall in line and co-operate with the probe. "Complaints of inmates and physically challenged staff being sexually harassed by other staff are serious charges," Rajanna said. "If the complaints were merely about financial irregularities or other petty matters, the commission would not have taken a serious stand.
Sexual harassment complaints need to be addressed quickly. If not, it amounts to miscarriage of justice."
The commission had expected a number of residents to testify how they were sexually abused in a one-on-one interaction with commission officials. "That was the main purpose of our visit, but our efforts were stonewalled by vested interests," a commission official said. "NAB is a well-known NGO which receives substantial support from the government and other agencies. This trust should not be misused. NAB should allow us to conduct a probe and take action against the culprits."
Another official said, "Blind students who have been sexually assaulted cannot identify the perverts. They can only explain their pain. It is our duty to protect them and create a safe and secure environment at NAB."
MISMANAGEMENT The commission has received other complaints of mismanagement. Residents and some staff members have written to the commission seeking its intervention in several issues including bye-law violation, flouting the memorandum of association and rules and regulations governing NAB, irregularities in administration and ill-treatment to residents.
Social activists too have joined the fight on the side of the residents. "It is a sad case of fence eating the crop," said Ranjita Bharati, a former volunteer of the NGO who is now facilitating meetings between residents and the commission. "Instead of acting as guardians, staff are sexually harassing them. There are several other charges that have been brought against NAB. These include misuse of funds, violations in the election process to elect the governing council and abuse of power by senior staff."
'TAKE STRICT ACTION' Other associations which work to uplift the physically challenged are also urging the commission to take action against the NGO. "The issue has come to our notice and we have urged the state commissioner for the disabled to file a police complaint and appoint a government administrator,"Jaykumar Hiremath, organising secretary, Helen Keller Association for Physically Challenged told Bangalore Mirror . "Safety of physically challenged women, especially the blind, in NGOs is a serious issue and has to be addressed by the commission. We have also decided to take it up with the chief minister."
NAB REFUTES CHARGES M Sreenivas, chief executive officer of NAB-K refuted the charges. He claimed that an employee was dismissed from the service in the past when sexual harassment charges were levelled against him.
"There is no such thing (sexual harassment) happening here and no such thing has come to our knowledge," Sreenivas said. "In the past, when we heard that such a thing had happened, we dismissed the staff. We took quick action. There is no such thing for the last one and half years. We welcome any probe in this regard. We are co-operating with the Karnataka State Commission for Disabled Persons."
Source : Bangalore Mirror , 5th April 2014
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