'Special' boy's name struck off rolls

LUDHIANA: Mandeep turned eight on October 1. He is exceptionally intelligent and has always stood first in class. The boy has a natural flair for art, craft and painting at this tender age.
Look closely and you will find him crawling a little and dragging himself before he is picked up by his parents or servants.
Mandeep is suffering from spina bifida (bifurcated spine).Life was near normal for him, till Alpine International School, where he was studying for the past three years removed him from their registration list.
After completing his nursery, lower and upper kindergarten in Alpine International School, Mandeep suffered a fracture in the leg during his endeavours in the auto rickshaw which takes him to school.
A helper from home is always with the child. Following the fracture, he missed school for a month, for which, his mother, Pinky Chabbra says she had taken permission from the principal. After treatment from CMC hospital, the parents returned to the school once the summer holidays ended. They were asked to leave.
''''We went to the principal''s office several times, waited for hours outside her office, but she did not meet us,'''' complains Pinky. Mandeep is presently undergoing therapy and private schooling with an NGO, Aashirwad.
Puja, the co-ordinator at Aashirwad, explains that under the Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation Bill, 1995, as well as the recent National Trust Act, no disabled student can be denied admission to the next class.
She points out, ''''For one, the student has a brilliant academic record. Two, many other normal students meet with accidents and take a month or two off school. They are never expelled.''''
She adds that she had tried to get the child admission in many other schools including KVM, BVM, and Saraswati Model School. They, however, returned disappointed.
The deputy commissioner, who heads the Ludhiana district nominated members for the welfare of the disabled, says the district administration is liable to ensure that the existing institutions adhere to the rules and regulations prescribed under the Bill. He says, ''''Mandeep''s parents as well as others facing similar problems should get in touch with his office.''''
Kusum, vice-principal of the school, while praising Mandeep for his intelligence said that going to school and home had become a problem and it was the parents who had withdrawn him from school.
Mandeep''s parents challenged this and said that this was the case then he should be taken back into the school.