This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.

Manasi Joshi Is Badass, And Not Just At Badminton

Fresh off a gold medal win at the Para-Badminton World Championships, Joshi is using her visibility to talk about a lot more than her sport.
Manasi Joshi
Manasi Joshi

Hyderabad: Manasi Nayana Joshi, the 30-year-old player who won a gold medal in the Para-Badminton World Championships last month, has been using the spotlight on her to advocate for better resources and opportunities for people with disabilities. In the days following her victory, amid the stream of congratulatory messages on her Twitter timeline, one tweet from the champion stood out:

In an interview with HuffPost India, Joshi said she was committed to using her visibility to start a dialogue about the 5% Goods and Services Tax (GST) levied on prostheses.

“If you go through the number of items which are exempted from GST, you will see that bindi, chudi and pooja samagri (ingredients/equipment for pooja) are exempted. I was surprised to see so many exemptions and the politics around these exemptions, even when I have to pay 5% GST for my prosthesis. I want GST council to exempt prostheses from GST,” said the player, who is from Maharashtra and trains at the Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy in Hyderabad.

For the latest news and more, follow HuffPost India on Twitter, Facebook, and subscribe to our newsletter.

Joshi, who lost her left leg in a road accident in 2011, also wants the Union government to fund research and innovation in prosthetic support, as well as bear the training costs of para-players and athletes.

The player, who began her para-badminton career in 2014, said she still has to hold a job to support her playing and prosthetic costs. She will be representing India in mixed doubles in paralympic badminton in the Olympics next year in Tokyo.

She also has a wishlist in terms of innovation in prostheses for badminton players. “Most prostheses are invented for forward motion like that in athletics; for running or walking. Badminton as a sport requires sideways movement and backward movement. So we as badminton players have to adapt to the situation now. Even with the new prosthetic foot I use, I have to train my muscles to adapt to movement suited for badminton. I wish the prosthetic companies look into this situation and design prostheses specific to badminton as a sport,” she said

Edited excerpts from an interview:

How did you enter the world of para-badminton?

After I lost my leg in an accident, I started playing para-sports in 2014. It was in my very first international tournament in Spain in 2015 that I was introduced to the para-badminton family the world over. People from all over the world wished me and welcomed me and it was a kind gesture. I played World Championship 2015 and won a silver medal in mixed doubles with my partner Rakesh Pandey. After that, I have been playing all the tournaments that I could play in.

I play badminton not for the medals but for the love for it, for myself. The sport has given me a lot. I did my rehabilitation as an amputee through this sport. I became a completely different person through this sport. Now the sport has given me a new identity as a para-athlete in India. I have a newfound visibility.

“Most prostheses are invented for forward motion like that in athletics; for running or walking. Badminton as a sport requires sideways movement and backward movement. So we as badminton players have to adapt to the situation now.”

Even before you became visible after winning a gold medal in the World championship, you have been vocal on social media platforms about disability and prostheses support for athletes, fellow players and other persons with disabilities. Was it difficult for you to find the right prostheses as India is still lagging behind in prosthetic limb development when compared with other countries?

I use two prostheses—one for walking and the other for playing. Till 2018, I was using walking prosthesis for playing and this had reduced my efficiency because this prosthesis is heavier, with the knee weighing around 2.5 kg and the foot around 0.5 kg. In 2018, I selected Ossur Xplore Cheetah, a prosthetic foot manufactured by Iceland-based company Ossur, which allowed me to get rid of the heavy knee. This prosthetic foot is now directly attached to the socket, thereby reducing the weight and improving efficiency.

“A government which can send a mission to Mars and to moon can also fund research in prosthetics.”

But I had to get the prosthesis custom-made. I also had to try out many kinds of prosthetic foot before I finalised the one I am using. It took me 4-5 months to try out various products in the market and finalise the one that I am using now. This was because in India, there is very little innovation taking place when it comes to prosthetics. Innovation happens only when there is demand for the product or if there is a market for the product. The government should take an active step to encourage innovation in prosthetic development in India to support people with disabilities.

A government which can send a mission to Mars and to moon can also fund research in prosthetics. I request the Indian government to fund such projects and make artificial intelligence and prosthetics a priority.

What kind of innovation could revolutionise prosthetics for sports?

There are people who have worked extremely hard so that people like me can have a regular gait pattern like everybody else. There are new technologies and changes happening in the field of prosthetics. These changes are extremely important for people having above knee amputations and below knee amputations, hip disarticulation and other injuries which they have incurred.

The protheses which I use are battery-operated devices. If the battery gets discharged, I will not be able to walk, let alone play. I have to charge them regularly.

Besides, most prostheses are invented for forward motion like that in athletics; for running or walking. Badminton as a sport requires sideways movement and backward movement. So we as badminton players have to adapt to the situation now. Even with the new prosthetic foot I use, I have to train my muscles to adapt to movement suited for badminton.

I wish the prosthetic companies look into this situation and design prostheses specific to badminton as a sport.

“If you go through the number of items which are exempted from GST you will see that bindi, chudi and pooja samagri are exempted. I was surprised to see so many exemptions and the politics around these exemptions even when I have to pay 5% GST for my prosthesis”

For the players who use prostheses, is cost a major deterrent from entering championships?

In 2014 and 2015, I played just two or three tournaments because I had to have a job to support the prosthetic cost and the training cost. As most players have to keep a job, we do not get enough time to dedicate towards the sport as we do not get enough leave of absence to enter championships.

The costs are huge. For the prosthesis I use to enable me to walk, I had to shell out Rs22-23 lakh. And in the past one year, just to maintain the prosthesis for walking, I had to spend Rs3.5 lakh. For the prosthetic foot which I use for play, I spent an additional Rs4 lakh. For the first time in 2020, Para-badminton as a sport will be introduced in Olympics. Earlier it was not a Paralympic sport. Because of this, till now, the government has been funding only major tournaments including the World Championship and Asian Games and Olympics because it is mandatory.

Government funding is scarce also because Paralympic badminton players do not have a federation as of now. As we do not have a working federation, there is no way by which the government can reach out to the players and sponsor them. I still need to work because of fund crunch.

In the last two years, I have played more because I could get private sponsors who support and believe in me. More corporate sponsors should support para-players who use prosthetic limbs just like they fund players who do not need such costly equipment. The government should also extend support for more number of players.

In terms of government policies for para-players, what is the one thing you would like changed immediately?

I know that I have to say good things about the government but I have finally got the visibility which not many people get. I am using this time and the platform which I have got to start a dialogue about GST on prostheses.

Now, I am made to pay 5% on GST on prosthetic limbs and other devices which support the prostheses. For every part I buy, I have to shell out 5% GST on each item. Even for a liner or even a screw for the prosthesis, I will have to pay GST. As insurance companies do not cover prostheses and related equipment including batteries and sockets, GST becomes a personal cost which a person with disability has to bear.

“Why should people with disabilities pay taxes to buy prostheses that help us to walk? We should not be made to pay taxes to walk.”

It is very unfair that para-players have to pay GST on buying and maintaining prostheses both to walk and to play. I think walking is a basic right which we often take for granted. Why should people with disabilities pay taxes to buy prostheses that help us to walk? We should not be made to pay taxes to walk.

And if you go through the number of items which are exempted from GST you will see that bindi, chudi and pooja samagri are exempted. I was surprised to see so many exemptions and the politics around these exemptions even when I have to pay 5% GST for my prosthesis.

So then, is it not fair to ask for governmental support?

I want the government and the GST council to waive GST on prostheses.

You seem to want the government to take up more responsibility to support persons with disabilities.

It is very disheartening to realise that disability is not a topic of national importance, especially when I know that I would have retained my leg had every organ of the government worked well in the past. If at least 10 people including government servants were careful, if the traffic signals were adhered to and roads were safe, if traffic police had maintained the junction where signals were not working, I would have still had my leg. I would not have become a person with disability. I am sure that this is the case for most people who have lost limbs in road accidents.

So should the government not take up more responsibility when it comes to persons with disabilities?

Close
This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.