ABSTRACT
Historically, a consequence of epidemics and pandemics like the COVID-19 outbreak has been the systematic social exclusion and marginalisation of those belonging to the lowest strata of the society. Persons with disabilities, who are amongst the largest minority community globally, have been one of the most afflicted people during the pandemic and the resulting nationwide lockdown. Welfare organisations working in this area saw a sharp decline in allocated funds which were mainly flowing through the corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities of industries. Speculated reasons for this include the supposed losses experienced by the industries and the reallocation of these funds to state bodies and activities promoting hand washing routine, social distancing, and setting up of vaccination camps. Through my study, I examine the shift in the allocation of resources from the PWD to the temporarily able-bodied in the course of the pandemic in India through a case study. The data was collected from a semi-structured, in-depth interview conducted with an organisation working with the blind community along 210with other published and non academic sources (e.g. news websites, etc.). The study uses Foucault’s theory of biopolitics and biopower to shed light on the societal understanding of ‘disability’ and the dispensable position of the ‘disabled’, which has been exacerbated by the pandemic. The chapter shall also shed light on the implications of the steps taken by the state and public players in redirecting their social responsibilities away from such communities.
