N.C.P.E.D.P. Kashmir Earthquake Fund set up, round table planned in J&K

D.N.I.S. News Network – A national relief fund by the name of “National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People Kashmir Earthquake Fund”, has been set up to raise money for rehabilitation of disabled people affected by the Kashmir earthquake, following a fact-finding mission by the National Disability Network and Disabled Peoples’ International, India.

The report, which attracted ample media attention, has been submitted to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress President Sonia Gandhi and J&K Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad.

The report was shared with the partners of the National Disability Network and a decision was taken to raise funds for disabled victims of the Kashmir quake. According to a letter of appeal for the fund “This fund will be the disability sector’s contribution to the Nation in general, and to our disabled friends of the Kashmir region in particular,” it adds.

It further says: “Disability sector has always come together to support disabled victims at the time of crises. We began this initiative of the disability sector coming together to contribute at the time of the Kargil war in 1999. By doing this, we also wanted to show to the society that disabled people are contributing citizens of the nation, thus, challenging the stereotypical image that disabled people are only recipients of charity.

The amount that was collected at the time of Kargil war was handed over to the National Defence Fund for the support of disabled soldiers in the war and the ‘Gujarat Earthquake Fund’ raised by National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (N.C.P.E.D.P.) was handed over to National Association for the Blind India towards the rebuilding of a hostel for visually impaired women in Madhapur.”

Last year at the time of Tsunami, N.C.P.E.D.P. raised funds that have been allocated for a project, proposed by Vidya Sagar, in Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

Cheques and demand drafts can be sent in favour of ‘The NCPEDP Kashmir Earthquake Fund’ by 31 November 2005.

As one of the primary objective of the fact-finding team was to evoke awareness on the issue integrating the concerns and needs of people with disabilities with the rehabilitation plans, N.C.P.E.D.P. will be holding a roundtable meet focused on disability in view of the earthquake in Jammu and Kashmir and has scheduled tentatively for the month of December. 'Read the Kashmir Report'.