News

Volume 7 Issue 9 - May 01, 2010

South Zone unanimously supports ‘New Law’

Javed Abidi, Vandana Bedi and G. Syamala at the Consultation

D.N.I.S. News Network, India: More than 60 disability sector leaders from South India met at the zonal level Consultation in Chennai, and unanimously endorsed the concept of one comprehensive New Law based on U.N.C.R.P.D.

The two days consultation was held on April 16 and 17, and was organised by National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (N.C.P.E.D.P.) in collaboration with Vidya Sagar. In his opening note, Javed Abidi, Honorary Director, N.C.P.E.D.P., expressed his disappointment on the callous attitude of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. He said that it has been several months now and the Ministry continuous to be tight lipped on the issue of new law versus amendments.

South Zone Consultation in progress

Addressing the delegates Abidi said, “Time has come now for disabled people to take their own decisions. We will not let lawyers or doctors or even parents to take decisions on our behalf.”

It was agreed that South Zone disability leaders will meet once a month to discuss the new law chapters that have been drafted by Disabled Rights Group (D.R.G.) and give their feedback. The chapters will also be translated into the regional languages of the South, so that even the grass root level workers can read them and give their feedback.

The National Consultation on ‘New Law versus Amendments’ was held in New Delhi in October last year. The North Zone Consultation in Delhi and East Zone Consultation in Guwahati were organized in January and February, earlier this year. This was the third such Zonal Consultation in the series.