News

Volume 2 Issue 7 - April 01, 2004

Disabled seek political space

DNIS News Network - In an unprecedented show of strength, India's physically challenged people came out of their shell on March 20 and demanded their share of attention from political parties by, for starters, including their needs in election manifestos.

The landmark event was a 'National convention on political rights of disabled people' at FICCI auditorium, Delhi, convened by the Disabled Rights Group.

In order to make political parties realise the seriousness of their needs, around 700 people from 17 states of India came together in Delhi and submitted their Charter of Demands to the BJP and the CPI (M). The Congress was hugely conspicuous by its absence.

A demand for the reconstitution of the National Disability Commission to include disabled people in prominent positions, along with an immediate revision of the identified job list for disabled people, are listed in the charter.