DIMAPUR: Hailing from Shesulimi village under Pughoboto sub-division in Zunheboto district, Ghunavi G Kinimi, a sub-divisional officer (SDO) in the Water Resources department, is a Person with Disability (PwD) – hearing impairment (55% disability).
Coming from a family that struggled financially and with his severe hearing disability, Kinimi defied societal norms and barriers only a few have achieved. He experienced discrimination as a disabled person, toiled in the fields and went door-to-door with his mother to sell vegetables to be where he is today.
Within a few months of his birth, he was diagnosed with Acute Otitis media (collection of fluid in both ears). Soon after, his mother found that he had hearing loss, which gradually progressed from moderate to severe.
“My dad and relatives didn’t believe that I would survive but it was my mom who took great care of me without proper sleep and food for nearly six months after my birth,” he said.
“It is not that my parents intentionally left my hearing problem untreated but due to the family’s financial constraints, my parents couldn’t afford to consult an audiologist or specialist doctor,” Kinimi said, adding “against all odds, they did their best with whatever resources they had, for which I am ever grateful.”
I still lack the ability in pronunciation as my hearing loss naturally changed the course of my pronunciation, Ghunavi says.
Informing that he never attended any special schools, Kinimi attributed his education to his parents for always having faith in him. Talking about his education, he stated that it was not easy for him to compete due to his disability.
“I still remember that I would miss hearing some lectures of my teachers. Sometimes I was punished for coming to class without homework, which I failed to hear from teacher. I always took extra time to copy notes from my fellow classmates during recess or after class,” he said. Kinimi also informed that he was ‘discriminated and bullied’ in the classroom.
Kinimi recalled with fond memories the day he topped the final examination in class 4 as well as the only student to score 80% in English without a subject teacher in class 7 at Government High School, Pughoboto, and a subject topper in Sumi (MIL) during his matriculation.
He informed that soon after his class 12, his high school teacher, Nisheto Sheqi and family, agreed to sponsor his further education which enabled him to get his degree in Agricultural Engineering.
[bsa_pro_ad_space id=1] [bsa_pro_ad_space id=1]Kinimi informed that during the early stages, there was a barrier for him to enter into the government service as there was a lack of provisions and policies for PwDs.
The state government did not implement reservation policy of posts identified as suitable for persons with benchmark disabilities except for a few non-gazetted and non-technical posts issued by the department of P&AR in 2008. The state government finally implemented the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016, in 2019 and in accordance with this Act, the reservation policy of identified posts suitable for persons with benchmark disabilities came into force on August 13, 2020.
“This guideline removed barriers and discrimination for me and I finally achieved my dream job through NPSC in the year 2022,” Kinimi said.
Talking about his work experience, Kinimi informed that while he was preparing for competitive exams, he also served as a teacher in Pughoboto.
After serving nearly one and half year as a teacher in private school, he cleared Railway Recruitment Board (non-technical popular category) in 2016 and joined Indian Railways in September 2016 and posted in Guwahati.
While serving in the Railways, he cleared a departmental exam in Nagaland for the post of junior accounts assistant (JAA) in 2022 and accepted it even though it was a junior position because he wanted to serve in the state. But soon after, he cracked the combined technical services conducted by NPSC.
“I tendered my resignation as a JAA where I served for almost one year and joined as a sub-divisional officer (SDO) under the department of Water Resources. I have been working as an SDO for nearly 5 months and am currently posted in Kohima,” he informed.
There are several challenges for PwDs in Nagaland to access job market in Nagaland. Some of the important factors which hinder them to access employment in Nagaland included lack of education and training, lack of financial resources, inaccessible workplace and attitudes of employers.
The government needs to immediately address the current employment gaps and challenges for PwDs in Nagaland, he says.
PwDs in Nagaland are always confronted by systematic discrimination, pejorative terminology and environmental barrier that hinder their equal participation in social lives and communities. Disabled or able-bodied, we all have the power and responsibility to make society more inclusive for everyone, Kinimi said.
He added that people with disabilities are underrepresented in the church, despite having as much (or more) interest in faith as the average population.
“Until our church buildings, worship, and religious education programmes are made inviting, accessible, and open to all who wish to enter and join the church, there is little chance that people with disabilities will be seen or heard from there. They will remain outside of the building, rejected from potluck affairs, excluded from worship, and left out of the religious education activities and pastoral ministry of our congregations,” Kinimi pointed out.
He highlighted the two main images found in most religious writings reinforcing negative attitudes toward people with disabilities – disability as punishment for sin and people with disabilities as “objects of charity”.
Ghunavi Kinimi remained grateful that the discrimination, problems and challenges he faced have shaped him to be what he is today.