Team Herald
PANJIM: Disability Rights Association of Goa (DRAG) on Saturday refuted the allegations of the Manguesh Temple Committee president Dhume that a wheelchair facility is available in the temple and objected to the decision of not allowing personal wheelchairs in the temple as the ‘purity and sanctity of the temple’ will be defiled.
DRAG’s President Avelino D’Sa, in a letter to Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said, “It is totally false that the wheelchair facility of the temple was offered to the Keskars which they refused. As can be seen from media reports Dhume never informed the media when they first approached him that the temple had a wheelchair facility which the Keskars refused to use. On the contrary Dhume stated that the temple has no provision to accommodate wheelchairs.”
He added, “It is also false that the Keskars did not approach the temple committee to redress their grievances. When the temple security guard refused entry to the Keskars with their wheelchair, Keskar spoke to Kenkre who is the trustee of the temple and he also did not mention anything about the temple having a wheelchair.”
D’Sa further said they would like to know if God would have any objections to his divyangs entering the temple with their personal wheelchair or with their shoes.
“We wish to bring to your notice that many temples in India are accessible for persons with disability and are allowing persons with disability to take their personal wheelchair into the temple. They do not have any problem with the purity and sanctity of the temple being defiled,” he said.
DRAG has suggested that there is a need for the temple trustees to change their mindset towards persons with disability and said that Mangueshi temple is not accessible for persons with disability.
