Delhi’s Sunder Nursery guard stops specially-abled child from playing, sparks outrage: ‘Very shameful’

Sunder Nursery guard slammed for stopping specially-abled child. (Image: inika_unstoppable/Instagram)

A short visit to a public park has turned into a wider debate about dignity, access and equal rights for people with special needs. What began as a routine family outing is now drawing attention across social media and raising questions about how inclusive public spaces truly are.

The incident took place at Delhi’s Sunder Nursery, where a specially-abled child was allegedly stopped from using a swing by security guards. A video recorded by the child’s mother shows a heated exchange between the family and park staff, and has since prompted strong reactions online.

According to the parents, their daughter Inika, who has cerebral palsy, was denied access to a swing inside the park. In the video, Inika’s mother is seen questioning the guards. “Bacchi ki halat ka kya matlab hai? Tum s**** doctor hai?” (What do you mean by the child’s condition? Are you some doctor?) she asks.

Child’s father can be heard saying, “Delhi mein 2.5 lakh baccho ko disability hai. Aapka guard kehta hai ki disability wale bacche ko hum jhula nahi jhulne denge (There are 2.5 lakh children with disabilities in Delhi. Your guard is saying children with disabilities will not be allowed on the swings).”

The mother explains in the clip, “Aaj Delhi ke Sundar Nursery ke park mein hum Inika ko lekar gaye the aur waha wo ek jhula karna chahri thi. Usko wo nahi karne diya gaya aur hume park se bahar nikalne ko bola gaya (Today we took Inika to Sunder Nursery, and she wanted to use a swing. She was not allowed, and we were asked to leave the park).”

At one point, a guard is heard saying, “Iska dimag thik nahi hai (Her mind is not fine).” The parents claim that when they responded by saying, “Inika is very capable of doing everything,” the guards allegedly acted together against them.

“Wo hum par gang up ho gaye, hathapai karne ki koshish kari gayi aur hume kaha gaya ki hum park se bahar nikal jaye (They ganged up on us, tried to get physical (attempted to manhandle us), and told us to leave the park),” she added.

Other parents present at the park are seen in the video speaking in support of the family. The mother ends the recording with an appeal, “Every child has a right to play with dignity. Inclusion is not optional. So, I urge the government of Delhi to please make sure no child is banned from the parks.”

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A post shared by Inika Sharma (@inika_unstoppable)

The caption accompanying the post read, “A Delhi government park. A child with disability. And full security was called to remove the little child. Security guard says: ‘We don’t allow specially-abled children in this park.’ Father says: ‘Delhi has lakhs of children with disabilities. Are the govt parks not for them too?’ The real question is: Are these security guards here to protect our children — or to intimidate them?”

The video has received strong reactions online. One user commented, “Very shameful act by guards !! More power to you.” Another said, “This is so unnecessarily stressful for both the child and the parent.”

One more added, “I am so sorry this happened to you and your baby. Sending you a big hug.” Another user wrote, “This is so sad. Sorry you had to experience this.” One person remarked, “This is beyond shocking. Need jail terms for those denying these kids the basic rights.”