in partnership with Swabhiman during their 20^th Anjali International Children and Youth Festival 2021(Virtual mode)

4.30 AM, 19^th November 2021

Ketaki Foundation Trust joined hands with Swabhiman to create an awareness regarding the issue “Dialogues in Disability.” The dialogue will take many forms – seminars, panel discussions, radio talks, TV discussions, workshop, group discussion, etc.

Ketaki Foundation Trust, partnering with Swabhiman, shared a delightful experience putting together a panel discussion on ‘disAbility in Odia Literature, Scriptures, Folktales and Jagannath Culture’ during their 20th Anjali International Festival for Children and Youth on 19th November 2021 through virtual mode, Swabhiman, Bhubaneswar.

Panellists are well known figures in their respective fields.

Chairperson Prof. Jatindra Kumar Nayak delivered the keynote address.

Distinguished Panellists were Dr. Sruti Mohapatra, Dr. Biraja Prasad Routray, Dr. Purna Chandra Mohapatra, Dr. Dharanidhar Naik and Dr. Rabindra K. Swain. Mr. Sampad Patnaik moderated the programme. Through the webinar the panellists reflected their varied perspectives on the issue which was thought provoking and enlightening at the same time.

Over the years, literature has become more inclusive. It deals with many ignored aspects of humanity. More novels are exploring disability and narrating stories featuring disabled people. When disability is represented in literary texts, it questions the preconceived notions of imperfection in human lives.

Calibrated discussions are needed to understand disability from dominant Jagannath culture in our society. In Odisha, most of our devotional songs are in praise of  Lord Jagannath. The incompleteness of Jagannath’s idol has always posed challenge to our  supposedly perfect society. What is that deeper meaning to Jagannath’s incompleteness, we have asked ourselves. Does Jagnannath embody a disabled person to remind ‘abled’ beings that we must not lose sight of those who are different from us? Does it express the essential incompleteness and imperfection of all things around us?

Decades of experience have shown that the promotion and protection of human rights are essential for preventing discrimination based on disability. In 2006, all UN member states made a commitment to strengthen laws that eliminate discrimination against people with disabilities and in 2016 the RPwD Act further strengthened the environment in India.

Panellists engaged in a contemplative discussion through a webinar reflecting their experiences and perspectives on the subject that was joined by a wide audience from different walks of life.