That's the tragedy of our democratic India, Sensationalizing media and not the least, National Federation of the blind. The reporter in question even called me while drafting this news and I cautioned her not to highlight the bickering which is a part and parcel of NFB'S all conferences, but duly concentrate on disability law session.
From: SC Vashishth [mailto:subhashvashis...@gmail.com] Sent: Monday, February 15, 2010 9:50 AM To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in; Rajesh Asudani Subject: Police Called in as blind fight at Nagpur Rajesh, The agitation seems to have taken centre stage rather than your suggestions for Amendments to the Disability Laws! Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Police-called-in-as-blind-fight/articleshow/5571234.cms Police called in as blind fight TNN, 14 February 2010, 07:08am IST NAGPUR: The two-day bi-annual conference of the National Federation of Blind (Maharashtra) was disrupted in the second session by a group of discontent members alleging non-democratic process of making amendments in the federation's constitution. The situation led to utter chaos due to shouting of slogans by the two groups at Amrut Bhavan on North Ambazari Road. The members attending the conference, which was earlier inaugurated by the commissioner of police Praveen Dixit and the mayor Archana Dehankar, had to be calmed down by police intervention during the following session of the general body meeting (GBM). The agitating members alleged that they were barred from entering the conference premises while the present office bearers of the federation levelled charges of misappropriation of funds and certain illegal deals in sale of land by the past executive committee which had been in power since last 13 years. Speaking to TOI, the conference hosts from the city, Rewaram Temburnikar and Manish Thool, who is the secretary of the Vidarbha branch of the federation, said that the group which had disrupted the proceedings had ruled the federation for past 13 years. They alleged that the past executive committee had manipulated funds and had also made certain illegal land purchase or sale deals. "There are actually two groups in the federation. The present executive body led by the president MY Guru and general secretary Vasant Hegde were elected through democratic elections in the presence of the charity commissioner at Pune. In today's conference out of the 2800 registered delegates only 1100 turned up and all were given batches and gate passes. But some members from the opposing group tried to force in shouting slogans and throwing chairs refusing to show their gate passes to the volunteers from the Ishwar Deshmukh College of Physical Education and Nashikrao Tirpude Physical Education college. So we were forced to call the police," said Thool. But the agitating members, led by former general secretary Dattatreya Jadhav shouted anti-police slogans of 'lathi charge on blind people', and aggressively argued that the present body did not involve them in the process of making the proposed amendments in the federation's constitution. "They used force of sighted volunteers to throw us out which was totally uncalled for. Every decision in the GBM has to be passed by two-third majority and prior circulation of the points to all members. This is the first time that in 30 years history of the federation that such a situation arose," said Jadhav claiming that he would not keep quiet and seek judicial intervention. THROWING LIGHT During the first session, Rajesh Asudani, independent disability consultant from city called for major amendments in the disability law. Some of the major suggestions include ... * Changes in definition of disability demanding that category of low vision be deemed as mildly blind and care should be taken to avoid cases where a person would medically fall into neither blind nor low vision * Mainstreaming disability: every implementing bodies be made more representative of disabled. All constitutional bodies from panchayat to parliament should have at least one disabled representative * Bifurcation of reservations for severely and moderately disabled * Demanding central government's plan of allocating three per cent of the total budget on disabled as per the government's commitment in the XI five year plan which has not been implemented so far. * Audit of all government grants to all NGOs and should include expenditure on disabled -- Warm regards, Subhash Chandra Vashishth Mobile: +91 (11) 9811125521 Please don't print this e-mail unless you really need to. Consider environment! ________________________________ Notice: This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. 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