opinion

Making worship inclusive to all

Anthony SB Thanasayan

Several of my friends celebrated Thaipusam recently at the famous Batu Caves, which is situated in Gombak, Selangor.

They went there in their wheelchairs.

Although it has been many years since I last visited the very popular limestone hill in our country, I can still recall the very first time that I was there. 

I was just a seven-year old kid.

I was able to walk then, albeit with a severe limp on my right leg.

My family took me there, along with a close relative. He was a kind and burly gentleman who offered to carry me all the way up the famed 272-steps that led into the holy cave.

I asked him why there were so many stairs, and what was in the caves.

This was what he told me: "The reason we have to climb up so many steps is because we need to suffer as human beings and appease the gods who are dwelling in the caves."  

It was both an exciting and, at the same time, terrifying experience for me, causing my heart to beat a little faster as we ascended higher and higher up the stairway.

The relative placed his hands firmly on my bottom, as I clung on to him in a sitting position for dear life with my arms around his shoulders and neck.

As we climbed one step after another, I could feel his heartbeat getting more rapid. He also started to sweat, and his movements got slower.

The fact that we had to make way for Kavadi carriers and other devotees along the way complicated the situation further. It made me realise that one slip was all that was needed to create a nasty situation for the both of us.

Fortunately, that never happened.

The hive of activity inside the cave as well as the sights were to me worth all the adventure we went through.

I have never lost my enthusiasm for visiting Batu Caves.

Even the botched surgery that put me permanently in a wheelchair, at the age of 10, made me to look forward to it even more.

Imagine being in a wheelchair and stuck at home most of the time.

Thaipusam became one of the best yearly opportunity to get out into the world and sample the happening events in our society.           

I kept going back to Batu Caves during Thaipusam every chance I got.

But I'm sad to say that wheelchairs (and this really shouldn't be the case at all) can take the fun out of visiting places by presenting "special problems" for its users.

It was hard to find the best spots to park without wheeling myself a mile or two away to get into the holy ground. Most of them were taken up by physically able drivers.

I've had situations where some of them have even outraced me to grab the best spots.

Strange that this can happen in a place where people are supposed to be compassionate and conscientious of the "less able" – but it happens!

And not only in Batu Caves, but in other places of worship as well.

I once got ticked off for highlighting in the newspapers about "a certain church" that had reserved as many as two parking lots for its able-bodied priests but nothing for disabled drivers.

Instead of being happy with me for pointing this out – nor thanking me for it – the priest and the relevant local council got furious with me and became defensive about it when I tried calling them up to offer solutions to the problem.

Fortunately, they cooled down in the end and went on to provide the neessary facilities.

Recently, I read about an NGO organising an event in Batu Caves where they carried dozens of wheelchairs up and down the 272 steps.

From one angle this seemed like a very good thing.

But to be honest, it was a very dangerous thing to do. To be fair, I don't think the organisers of the event even realised it.

Wheelchairs are never designed to be carried by anyone.

In fact, the more advanced ones come with parts which can be easily detached.

These include the arm and leg rests, back rests and especially the wheels. This is done to make wheelchairs more portable. It is also done to make it more user-friendly to people with various types of disabilities.  

From the pictures, I also noticed that the volunteers were carrying disabled persons in their wheelchairs the wrong way.

The technique they were using was putting on more burden and weight on themselves instead of lightening it to avoid accidents.

It must also be noted that disabled persons have varying forms of handicaps. Some have a strong grip and balance while others have virtually nothing.

Some can't even hold a pen securely in their fingers even though they may look "fine and healthy".

The best thing for the Batu Caves authorities to do is to stop this carrying practice entirely.

They should provide a lift to be used only by the disabled and the elderly.

I've heard that there has been talk about this before but until now, nothing has been done about it.

Disabled people also need reserved parking for them inside the grounds of Batu Caves. These can be increased during special festivities like Thaipusam.

And it doesn't hurt to deploy extra volunteers especially for disabled devotees during the festival.

And let's not forget disabled-friendly restrooms. Kindly keep it clean at all times and not let it be abused by the able-bodied.

As for the local council, they can and should play a pivotal role in working with the Batu Caves management committee in providing these facilities.

One would not be faulted for hoping that the gods themselves will come down and make these dreams come true for those who need such facilities.

By doing this, even tourists with disabilities or the elderly, can enjoy our unique Batu Caves all year round. – February 1, 2016.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer, organisation or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.