Manju V (THE TIMES OF INDIA; October 23, 2021)

Mumbai: Dancer and actor Sudhaa Chandran, an amputee, in a video statement posted on a social media platform, said she is made to remove her prosthetic limb to clear airport security every time.

On Thursday, the 56-year-old accomplished Bharatnatyam dancer had reached the Mumbai airport to board a flight to Hyderabad when she was asked to remove her prosthetic limb to clear security, said an aviation source.

In a video clip posted later, Chandran said: “Every time I go on my professional visits, each time I am stopped at the airport and when I request CISF security officers that please do an ETD (explosive trace detector) test for my artificial limb, they still want me to remove my artificial limb and show it to them.”

She added it is “very disheartening and humiliating at times when I am told to show or remove my artificial limb”.

Four years ago, India had amended security norms for disabled passengers, under which their prosthetics or wheelchairs are to be put through an X-ray check only on sufficient reason and justification. Chandran appealed to the Prime Minister to intervene and make airport security less of an ordeal for senior citizens.

Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), the agency in charge of airport security, issued a public apology and stated under the existent security protocol, “prosthetics are to be removed for security checks only under exceptional circumstances”.

The CISF tweeted: “We will examine why the lady personnel concerned requests Chandran to remove the prosthetics. We assure Chandran that all our personnel will be sensitised again on the protocols so that no inconvenience is caused to travelling passengers.”

Nipun Malhotra, a wheelchair user, said: “In 2017, O P Singh, the then director-general CISF, had amended security screening protocol to bring dignity to wheelchair users. Since then, clearing airport security hasn’t been an ordeal. So I was sad to hear about Chandran’s experience.”

Communications professional Antara Telang, an amputee, said: “I fly largely out of Mumbai and Bengaluru. My airport experience improved after the security norms were amended a few years ago. Not every security personnel is conversant with these amendments though, in which case, I inform them. Then their superior intervenes and they let me clear security without ordeal.”

TIMES VIEW:
In many countries, X-ray screening of prosthetics and patients on wheelchairs is rare at airports. In 2017, India amended its SOP for screening of passengers with disabilities to make X-ray screening the last resort. The CISF should ensure that its security personnel are conversant with the amendment. They should be sensitized and trained to maintain the highest security standards without inconveniencing differently abled passengers.
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Natasha Coutinho D`souza (MID-DAY; October 22, 2021)

Actress Sudhaa Chandran recently shared a video after she was asked to remove her artificial limb at the airport, which went viral. The actress mentioned that she has to follow this process each time she is on a professional trip. She went on and made an appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting him to issue cards like that of senior citizens.

"Every time that I go on my professional visits, each time, I am stopped at the airport and when I request them at the security, to the CISF officers... that please do an ETD for my artificial limb, they still want me to remove my artificial limb and show it to them. Is this humanly possible, Modi ji? Is this what our country is talking about? Is this the respect that a woman gives to another woman in our society?” the actress said.

Speaking to mid-day.com, Sudhaa Chandran said, "As hurt as I was yesterday, today I'm touched by the wonderful apology and emotions by the CISF. The authorities from Hyderabad airport met and assured me such things will not happen again unless it's an extreme situation. Though I understand they were doing their job, it can be extremely stressful for the specially abled. Mr Gopal Shetty, an MP from BJP, reached out to me immediately. Secondly, Mr Jyotiraditya Scindia, reached out to me and assured such incidents will not be repeated. A big thank you to my industry colleagues who have been constantly tweeting to Narendra Modi ji, that's something I have earned in the last 30 years of my career. The swift action by the Central government is reassuring. Also, thanks to the media for raising and supporting this issue. I also had the CISF from Mumbai at my residence, but I couldn't meet them because I was in Hyderabad."