Nagpur: T. Singaravel, who served as Nagpur Commissioner of Police from January 1995 to August 1997 and later as Inspector General (Prisons), Maharashtra, was known as an astute, no-nonsense officer. During his tenure, he initiated the involvement of NGOs in counselling families affected by domestic disputes. A firm disciplinarian, he left no room for lapses or loopholes in tackling crime.
Now, Singaravel is on a very different mission. A cancer survivor, he is advocating for the rights of police personnel and others living with an ostomy, a surgical procedure that creates an opening (stoma) in the abdomen to divert urine or faecal matter into an external pouch. While the procedure is often necessitated by cancer, other serious medical conditions may also require it.As honorary chairperson of the Ostomy Association of India, Singaravel is campaigning for ostomates to be recognised as persons with disabilities (PwDs) under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016, making them eligible for govt grants and other benefits.“In 1983, the Maharashtra govt issued a circular directing district-level officers to register cancer survivors as ‘disabled persons’ to enable them to avail govt benefits, including reserved employment opportunities. However, cancer survivors are often not perceived as disabled,” he said.The challenges faced by persons with disabilities have drawn global attention. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, adopted on Dec 13, 2006, underscores principles of dignity, non-discrimination, inclusion, equality of opportunity, and accessibility.The RPwD Act, 2016, which aligns with the UN Convention, defines a “person with disability” as someone with a long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairment which, in interaction with various barriers, hinders full and effective participation in society. The law’s framework, former Nagpur CP Singaravel argues, can be applied to medical conditions such as ostomy.He said continuous dependence on ostomy appliances significantly affects daily living, social participation, and psychological well-being. “Ostomy qualifies as a ‘disguised disability’ under this definition and should be categorised as a specified disability under the Act,” he asserted.He urged authorities to amend the implementation framework of the 2016 law to formally include ostomates, pointing out that several countries already recognise them as persons with disabilities.
