A disabled rights activist was denied entry into an upscale bar and restaurant in south Delhi. Nipun Malhotra, who was born with arthrogryposis, a rare congenital disorder, which leads to lack of muscles in arms and legs, was denied entry to the restaurant last night. Malhotra, who is also co-founder of the Nipman Foundation, was allegedly driven away by the security and the manager of the restaurant and told that he would not be allowed inside as he was disabled. "Our friends had decided to go to Keya for dinner. So, nine of my friends, five boys and three girls went to the restaurant. One of my friends politely told the manager that one of us will be coming on a wheelchair and that he should ensure that he reaches the table.”
"The manager asked if the friend was injured or had a disability. When my friend informed him that he has a disability, the manager said that as a policy they do not allow disabled people inside," Malhotra claimed. "When my friend told me about it, I could not believe him and reached there with my brother. The security there stopped us from going inside saying the hotel as a policy does not allow disabled inside and started pulling my wheelchair. "I was shocked. The manager then came out and to flip the argument said that we do not allow stag entires. When I told him that already three of my male friends and many others were inside, then how could he say that they do not allow stag entires?" Malhotra said.
The upscale eateries boasting of customer satisfaction are always discriminative towards the common man. Previously it was McDonald which threw out a street kid for not coming from an affluent background. Even after the sponsor of the kid request, the security staff threw him out mercilessly. Now that an upscale bar and restaurant in south Delhi throwing out a gentleman who is otherwise abled but for he is having disability. The rogue manager making the story of “stag entry” to a person who is moving in a wheelchair is to be condemned in the highest context. The restaurant has to be penalized and to be shutdown. If the so called common mans Delhi government does not have the will to punish the restaurant owners and staff for such an inhumane act, then the common man of Delhi have to come forward to ensure that nobody will enter the restaurant. The people of Delhi have to sensitize the issue and create awareness among the fellow citizens regarding the discrimination meted out to a disabled person.
By Premji
