BENGALURU: Winner of two silver medals in paracycling at Asian Paralympics, Aditya Mehta was strip searched at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) here recently.
He was travelling to Hyderabad on Tuesday morning when personnel of the Central Industrial Security Force insisted that he remove his prosthetic leg. Moreover, one official Thakur Das, allegedly stripped the athlete and humiliated him.
In a Facebook post, where the athlete has detailed his ordeal at KIA, he said, "I have been suffering with an injury since the past 20 days with my stump (OPERATED LIMB) and the security check officials only had to say "It is your problem!" in this regards."
Here is the full post
Yet again I was forced to remove my prosthetic leg at KIA, Bangalore. Possibly an generous Dussehera gift from CISF - Central Industrial Security Force.
Sarcasm aside, in my earlier posts, I have already mentioned how painful the procedure is to remove the prosthetics and wear it back. Worth mentioning is the psychological scar that it can leave on a physically challenged person's mind.
Thankfully, I am not that weak mentally. Because this gives me another opportunity to champion the cause for my extended family of physically challenged people in India.
Seems like the Bangalore Airport Central Industrial Security Force{cisf}Officials are not influenced at all by our previous campaign to replace the present security check system with a sensitized one. This morning when I had to board a flight from Bangalore at 5:30 am to Hyderabad, the CISF officials made me undo and redo my prosthesis during the security check. I have been suffering with an injury since the past 20 days with my stump (OPERATED LIMB) and the security check officials only had to say "It is your problem!" in this regards. It took me 40 min for the entire process of removing and wearing back my prosthesis limb which left me bleeding at the end.
Many of the officials at other airports were sensible enough to understand when I told them about my injury and they let me go. But at the Kempegowda Airport, the same officer MR. THAKUR DAS who was very rude the previous time, gave me an equally humiliating treatment this time too. He was too reluctant to let me go and STRIPPED ME yet another time with the people around mocking at me.
Earlier, we had asked for setting up body scanners for PWDs. No action has been taken yet. And seems like CISF personnels are not yet sensitized to deal with such cases. Such shame, such disgrace.
This isn't just my personal battle but the emotions behind the cause is. I am not here to absorb the humiliation and break. I am here to stand for my people and make a change.
A shoutout to the CONCERNED AUTHORITIES - Fall in line and change the system. Else, be ready to bear the heat.
This isn't a plea because we have pleaded before with no luck. This is a challenge to your oppressive system .
Hope #challengeAccepted
Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju CISF - Central Industrial Security Force Bureau of Civil Aviation Security