Little people: Marginalised community seeks social acceptance

Marginalised community has to fight hard in a land that offers them little incentive.

ISLAMABAD:

In a perfect world, Nida*, 43, would be happily married with children. However, the one thing keeping her from realising this dream is physical limitation. She is a dwarf. “While I have received some marriage proposals, my father has always declined them, arguing that no one would marry a dwarf when ‘normal’ girls already face trouble settling down,” she said while talking to The Express Tribune.

After the death of her parents, Nida moved in with her brother and his wife. However, she never allowed her appearance to hamper academic progress. She earned a masters degree and worked at a government post for many years.

She remains mindful of being financially independent. “I’ve held a few jobs but quit because people held discouraging attitudes towards me,” she said. Currently, she offers tuition from her residence. “We are social misfits and face rejection in every sphere of life. Others stare at us and mock us,” she added.

Many dwarfs like Nida struggle to achieve their goals and lead respectable lives. They have to fight hard in a land that offers them little incentive.

Shahbaz Ahmed, waiter at a hotel in Rawalpindi, is on the lookout for a better job. “I wanted to earn a masters degree but quit education in ninth grade because my schoolmates were being teased incessantly,” he said. Two of his sisters and their father are also suffering from dwarfism and avoid going out for fear of being ridiculed. “I have given up hope of a prosperous future; society does not even consider us as humans,” he said.

Qasim Zia, a 24-year-old bachelor of commerce student, is ambitious about furthering his education. However, having stubby fingers, he is often unable to hold a pen properly or write for long enough to sit an exam. He has applied for various posts at different organisations only to face rejection. “Interviewers always said I was unfit for the job due to my height,” he said. “On TV, we are portrayed as comical characters to amuse audiences. In hotels or marriage halls, we are treated like magnets to attract potential customers,” he added. Zia has established “Little People of Pakistan”, a platform for dwarfs to speak their mind about social issues they face.

Special Talent Exchange Program President Muhammad Atif Sheikh lamented that dwarfs were being branded “disabled” even while being deemed medically fit. Despite the numerous issues they faced, there was no organization dedicated to supporting the rights of little people, Sheikh said.

Ministry of Human Rights former director general Farkhanda Aurangzeb echoed Sheikh’s sentiments. “Nobody formulated any policy for the rights of little people during my tenure. Society has rendered them mentally and physically disabled when in fact, they are not,” she said.

*Name has been changed to protect identity

Published in The Express Tribune, March 31^st, 2013.