People With Mental Illness Respond to Maneka Gandhi’s ‘Comment’

Maneka Gandhi said that people with mental illness cannot work. Well, a lot of people differ.

A person with mental illness sends a message to Union Minister Maneka Gandhi. (Photo Courtesy: wecanwork.tumblr.com)

<p>If a person is mentally ill like schizophrenic, how can he be given a job?<br></p>

Maneka Gandhi, Union Minister for Women and Child Development according to PTI

Minister for Women & Child Development Maneka Gandhi, part of a ministerial panel to examine the proposed Disability Bill, has raised objections to it saying that the bill does not lay criterion for determination of mentally disabled persons.

There was perhaps a time, years ago, when a comment like the one Gandhi made would have gone unnoticed. But times have changed. People with mental illness, as well as those who work and live with them, have taken strong exception to her comment.

In an attempt to counter ignorance, a Tumblr page has been set up that is filled with testimonials from a diverse set of people. Their message is simple...We Can Work.

The posts are still coming in on the site, with large numbers of people joining the #WeCanWork campaign. Let’s hope the minister is listening.

The official Facebook page of the Ministry of Women and Child Development has clarified Maneka Gandhi’s comment, saying that the minister’s statement was misinterpreted by the Press Trust of India (PTI), the news wire service that first published the comment.