Delhi’s Sunder Nursery is in the limelight after its security guards allegedly prevented a specially-abled child from using the swing. A video of the altercation between the child’s family and park staff, filmed by the child’s mother, has gone viral on social media. Following this controversy over accessibility and inclusion in public spaces, Delhi’s Sunder Nursery has issued a clarification.
Why did this video cause outrage?
In the video, the guard is said to be seen making an insensitive remark to a five-year-old child with cerebral palsy as he refuses access to the park’s playroom.
According to the parents, their daughter Inika did not have access to the swing inside the park. Inika’s family alleged in the video that the guard made the derogatory statement “Iska dimaag theek nahin hai” (“Her mind is not right”) and asked them to leave and were manhandled.
Claiming that they were being tampered with, Inika’s mother asked the guard, “Bacchi ki halat ka kya matlab hai? Tum s**** doctor hai?” (What do you mean by the condition of the child? Are you some kind of doctor?).
Sunder Nursery issues clarification
The management of Sunder Nursery apologized for the guard’s misuse of words through an open letter posted on Instagram. “We remain committed to ensuring @sundernurserygardens is an inclusive place with no room for discrimination,” it said.
Ratish Nanda, the architect who restored Sunder Nursery, apologized for the guard’s language, calling it “unforgivable” and “ensuring efforts to keep the Park safe for the disabled and neurodivergent”.
In the letter, which suggested management apologized repeatedly, but with no response from Inica’s parents, the letter added: “With my first apology, I wanted to meet with you and ask for the full record to initiate the required action.”
“We are stepping up our outreach efforts to ensure @sundernurserygardens remains the most inclusive of all spaces in Delhi. Our staff, including custodians, gardeners, cleaners and more, work tirelessly to make this a safe, inclusive and happy space for everyone,” the apology read.
Ratish Nanda confirmed Sunder Nursery’s commitment to inclusion and clarified that only the zipline was restricted for safety reasons.
claimed that Sunder Nursery is an inclusive place. The statement clarified that only high-risk zipline activity was restricted for safety reasons, adding: “It was only access to the 15ft above ground zipline – the guard refused entry due to SAFETY. Most won’t be able to describe cerebral palsy in hindi – मेष्य पक्षागत या प्रमस्तिष्क पक्षागट was stopped despite his words!”
Along with the letter, Ratish Nanda added CCTV time stamps to refute Inika’s mother’s claim that security personnel were called to remove them. However, a formal complaint in the case has not yet been registered. The Child’s emphasized that they want to raise awareness and push for stricter enforcement of disability rights and mandatory sensitization training in parks and recreation areas.