Voices

New Delhi: Demanding ‘Substantial Allocation’

Disabled rights activists held a demonstration in front of the Planning Commission, on September 20, demanding ‘ substantial allocation’ for the physically handicapped in the 11th five-year plan.

The activists, under banner of the ‘Disabled Rights Group’, blocked the road outside the Planning Commission building and shouted slogans. Later they called off the agitation on assurance that the Planning Commission, Deputy Chairman, Montek Singh Ahluwalia, would meet the activists and discuss the issue.

Javed Abidi, the wheelchair bound convener of the Disabled Rights Group, and Director, National Centre for the Promotion of Employment for Disabled People, based in New Delhi, warned that the protests would be stepped up if the voices of the disabled remained unheard.

“If we are not given a hearing, the agitations will increase and we are going to use whatever means available in a democracy, to protest. Whatever can be done and to whichever limit we have to go to, whether it is protests of fasts until death, we will do that,” said Abidi.

This activism has exposed the weak implementation of the 1995 Disability Act, under which government jobs, accessibility of public places and free education are to be provided. Many provisions of the landmark law are yet to be implemented and activists blame the culture of passivity for this discrimination.

Source: Substantial allocation for disabled demanded. Political & Business, Daily. New Delhi, 20 September 2006.