A pws from Pakistan, let us call him YM, wanted to join a TISA whatsapp group. The admin contacted me. I said: yes, why not? YM is as much a stammerer as me or you- and needs some help. After all, many of us have drawn inspiration from Julia Irani’s videos. Haven’t we? I personally know that almost 7 out of ten Communication workshops have used her video, to explain what acceptance means in action – especially for a young Pakistani woman.
So, YM was added and after a day, he was thrown out – because of objections raised by some members. I am not sure if I should be happy or sad about it and pull my hairs out (not much left anyway). The basic facts remain- that YM is a pws and after joining this whatsapp group, he did not post or discuss Religion, Politics or Defense issues. So, what happened? How did we become so insecure and narrow minded? As far as I know, TISA nowhere encourages or permits, discrimination based on religion, caste, nationality, gender, ability, age, color, language..
So, tell me, everyone out there, reading this post, what should be our stand in future? It is time that we look beyond our tongue, into our hearts. I am pointing no fingers- but want to know if I am WRONG in thinking of TISA as a people’s movement ABOVE such discrimination and narrow divisions. Have I lost it? Totally?
BTW, I would like to congratulate YM for exemplary maturity shown by him: he left the group, started a new one and invited some of us to be a member of his group.
Guys, dont sit on the wall. Take a stand.
13 thoughts on “Time for Introspection?”
Dhruv Gupta
(March 15, 2017 - 11:02 pm)You have not lost it.. TISA’s core fundamental principle is Acceptance. It is sad to know that in this case we were not able to accept someone who was coming to us for help. I have known YM, he regularly joins Stammer Freely Google Hangouts, and everyone accepts him. Perhaps just a few misguided souls in that whatsapp group.
“Our true nationality is mankind” – H.G. Wells
Soumya
(March 15, 2017 - 11:56 pm)It is really sad that some people have this mindset. Stammering is something that has brought us all together and because of it we now have friends in almost every state of India. How beautiful is it that wherever we go in India we have a friend waiting to welcome us, then why the discrimination with YM! I am sure had YM been from any other nation, say US/UK or Sri Lanka, these same people would have welcomed him.
I can only hope that we, with time, will grow above these restrictive ideologies and accept not just stammering but a person as whole.
By the way, IWWS (Indian Women Who Stammer) group has women from other countries (including middle east) as well and we are all a family there.
Kamal Randhawa
(March 16, 2017 - 6:02 pm)Sir I agree with you. We need to think above and beyond regional boundaries. There are tensions between both the countries but solution is to be brougjt out some day. Peace is all we need.
There is nothing wrong if they are member of TISA. There is so much of similarities between both the countries and so similar are the problems faced by PWS . It would a good gesture from our side (India). With all prudence i think we should consider them and invite them to be a memeber of TISA.
Abhishek Kumar
(March 17, 2017 - 6:42 am)Our stand should be to welcome every person who needs help, irrespective of nationality. Most of the common people of Pakistan are not enemies of Indian people, and vice-versa. I have had come across a few wonderful pws friends from pakistan during skype calls. I remember a person even donating generously for TISA’s fundraising.We feel proud to be friends with pws of UK/USA, though it was Britain which had major role in economic exploitation of India for centuries and partition on communal lines. We do not blame these people for India’s partition/widespread poverty/under-development/exploitation in the hand’s of their ancestors. So why have a different yard-stick for people of Pakistan? We should guard against becoming puppets in the hands of politicians and leaders, and apply our own minds, and more importantly , our hearts in such matters.
Paraphrasing Charles Dickens for present times-“It is the best of times, it is the worst of times, it is the age of wisdom, it is the age of foolishness, it is the epoch of belief, it is the epoch of incredulity, it is the season of Light, it is the season of Darkness, it is the spring of hope, it is the winter of despair…”
Sachin
(March 17, 2017 - 9:36 am)Thanks Abhishek! I am reading a book: India Since Gandhi (Author: Ramachandra Guha, a Historian). That book resonates with the same sentiment. WE, the people of this sub-continent, have been ruthlessly manipulated like puppets by a handful of people with vested interests…
In any case, TISA can do a lot more in terms of educating ourselves, besides and beyond stammering…
Thanks, Dhruv, Soumya, Kamal and you, Abhishek..
Subrat Panda
(March 17, 2017 - 11:12 am)We don’t have to show protest on unnecessary things. She joined for a cause, it’s our responsibility to help her in as much as possible always. Because our culture believes in “Atithi devo Bhabah!”. We have to look beyond the boundaries for greater cause. We have to make sure that this thing will not repeat again, since we learn from our mistake.
Anupam Saxena
(March 17, 2017 - 1:34 pm)Let’s do something about and get organized . I can volunteer to make an attempt to convince people who not agreeing to YM. Also let’s first ourselves become strong and write name of PWS not in abbreviation but in BOLD letters .
Sudheendran A
(March 21, 2017 - 2:20 pm)May be we have to take a cue from our ancient wisdom which says ‘see yourself in others and others in you’.
ABINASH
(April 4, 2017 - 12:36 pm)We are not cyber crime experts to judge someone correctly. On a humanitarian ground off course it’s yes,We are here to help each other. But when it comes to national security then it is a risky affair. The one opposing non Indian have lost his kin in Kargil, how will you challenge his sentiment?
Sachin
(April 4, 2017 - 10:12 pm)Yes, exactly. We are not here to challenge anyone. We are here to just serve. As you say.
Naman
(April 4, 2017 - 6:28 pm)Just saw this post and felt disheartened to see such immorality.
We should support and welcome any Pws irrespective of gender/ caste / community / religion / country as stammering is what is common among all of us.
Binu K.G.
(April 5, 2017 - 1:37 pm)When you judge others, you do not define them, you define yourself.
Sachin
(April 5, 2017 - 4:58 pm)Aha! That is what many of us don’t realise… !!