News

Volume 8 Issue 6 - March 15, 2011

Javed Abidi invited to attend C.R.P.D. Committee’s meeting in Geneva

D.N.I.S. News Network, India: Javed Abidi, prominent disabled activist and Convenor of the Disabled Rights Group (D.R.G.) has been invited by the International Disability Alliance (I.D.A.) to take part in the C.R.P.D. Committee’s Meeting in Geneva from April 11 to 15.

The C.R.P.D. Committee meets twice a year to review the progress of the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (U.N.C.R.P.D.). They examine the Country Reports filed by various Nations from across the world, who have ratified U.N.C.R.P.D. Along with the Country Reports, they also look at the various Shadow Reports filed by Disabled People’s Organisations and Civil Society, in order to get an accurate account of the ongoings in that particular country vis-a-vis the rights of people with disabilities.

It is a rare and special honour for an individual to be invited, who is otherwise not a Member of the C.R.P.D. Committee. However, considering Mr. Abidi’s prominent role in fighting for disability rights in India and the fact that he is now also a Member of the World Council of Disabled People’s International (D.P.I.), the invitation has been extended.

“I am thrilled for having been invited but at the same time, I will face acute embarrassment before the international leadership because India has not filed its Country Report even until now,” said Abidi when contacted for a reaction.

India was supposed to have submitted its Country Report on May 3, 2010. Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (M.S.J.E.), instead of preparing the report on their own, commissioned the task to a Consultant, namely Dr. Amita Dhanda of N.A.L.S.A.R.

“I am appalled that there is just no sense of accountability, no concept of deadlines when it comes to M.S.J.E.,” said Abidi.

Also, why are all consultancies given out to just that one person, Abidi wondered aloud.

Other than India’s Country Report on the implementation (or non-implementation) of U.N.C.R.P.D., Dr. Amita Dhanda of N.A.L.S.A.R. has also been commissioned the tasks of drafting the new National Trust law as well as the new Disability Rights law. Neither of the three assignments have been completed until now. Lakhs of rupees have been spent in the name of assignments and consultancies.

An angry Abidi said, “Isn’t lack of accountability, sheer disregard of the given deadlines inspite of having been paid lakhs of rupees, another form of corruption?”.