Human chain for Rajan in front of Chennai airport

CHENNAI: About 100 physically challenged persons on Wednesday formed a human chain in front of the domestic airport here in protest of refusal by a private airline's to allow a cerebral palsy victim to board the aircraft without an escort.

Holding placards, the disabled, most of them in wheelchairs, held a peaceful protest by forming the human chain for nearly 90 minutes.

They demanded equal rights and urged the Government to put an end to discrimination against the disabled.

"We've been facing discrimination from various airlines and Monday's incident was the height of it. It not only violated human rights, but also the International Civil Aviation rules," said Smitha, Assistant Coordinator -Vidyasagar, an NGO which organised the agitation.

"We want to make this issue a national movement against discrimination on the grounds of disability and are also planning to file a Public Interest Litigation against the Civil Aviation Ministry," she said.

Physically challenged persons from NGOs like Banyan and Ability Foundation also took part in the human chain protest.

Air Sahara officials on Monday refused to take on board 34-year-old wheelchair-borne Rajiv Rajan without an escort, triggering a nationwide debate on the need to sensitise private airlines to the rights of the disabled.

Despite Rajan's plea that he was a frequent flier and was fit enough to travel alone, the airline staff tried to push him out of their office and even called in police to show him the way out.

Rajan, a coordinator with Vidyasagar, was scheduled to attend a meeting in New Delhi.