Suranjana Ghosh-Aikara, a media professional, who happens to be an above-knee amputee, decided to go public with her harrowing experience at the Mumbai airport about being asked to remove her prosthetic leg for security check. Although she insisted that international airport security checks do not involve this scan, no one listened to her until she refused and pleaded. Finally, she was allowed to go, leading to much discussion on social networking sites and newspapers as well. Coincidentally, a national daily reported of a similar case again today. Here is what Suranjana, who wants to use the incident to sensitise authorities about dignity of differently-abled, had to say.
What was your objection to the security check at the airport?
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As an above knee amputee, whose artificial limb is an extension of her body, removing this limb is a time-consuming, painful & private process. Removing the limb requires me to undress and it compromises my modesty severely to do so in front of strangers. Without the limb I cannot walk but will be hopping on one leg or will have to be seated. The artificial limb is a high tech, expensive and delicate piece of machinery which requires special care and expertise.
The following account needs to be considered keeping the above context in mind:
As I entered the security check cubicle, I told the first lady security officer that I have an artificial leg and the metal detector would be set off by it. I handed her my documentation while I said this (disability certificate, press ID card, letter from prosthesis manufacturer). She chose not to look at any of this and immediately said I’d have to remove the leg and run it through the scanner. I reasoned with her that this was not required and she could do a physical check (without my removing the artificial limb) and run an ETD scanner test on me externally. She insisted I’d have to take it off and called another woman officer, who had no opinion to offer except that I had to remove the leg. Since I refused to undress to do so, she took me out of the security cabin. Other passengers were looking and listening to our conversation. A third officer, a male, was now called who looked at all my documentation but had nothing to say except that he would speak to his superior officer about it. The superior officer turned up after some time and handed back all my documentation and boarding pass when I said I wouldn’t let them remove my leg and run it through the scanner. At this point, we settled for a compromise. The physical check and ETD test that I had asked the first lady to do was conducted in a separate area (three sides closed, fourth side open, no curtain, door or lock on this open side, open from top as well, hence not a private area).
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I was unnecessarily harassed for a process that could have been done by the first woman security officer when I voluntarily told her about the artificial leg. Instead it took four levels of escalation and half an hour in which I had to explain several times that I could not remove the limb and let it go through the scanner. I kept reasoning with logic and displaying my documentation but was summarily ignored by being told those were the ‘rules’.
Have you heard from any official about what happened?
No.
How could it be done differently and avoid this kind of humiliation?
The first person to do the check in the security cabin should first do a thorough physical pat-down & ETD test. Only if this leaves him / her unsatisfied should a request for a more intrusive check be made. The removal of the limb should be a last course option as it is a delicate piece of machinery and if mishandled will leave the amputee with no means to walk. The attitude displayed by the security staff can be softer and less intimidating. After all, we are law abiding citizens of the country who want to comply with rules and fly safe – but not at the cost of our dignity. For checking differently abled-people in a dignified manner, construct totally private areas (either curtained or with a non-transparent door) close to the security gate, so there is complete privacy and no inconvenience in making the person walk to a restroom far away or in an open area in view of others. Try not to escalate it too many levels, thereby intimidating the differently-abled person. Understand the logic that is being presented to you. These are differently-abled people, not criminals. They need your respect & cooperation.
