Oops. This sound to be not in good state. Regards, Srinivasu Chakravarthula | PayPal | @csrinivasu Sent from my iPhone 5C
> On 05-Feb-2014, at 1:19, Ajay Arora <ajayaror...@gmail.com> wrote: > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: Santosh Kumar Rungta <santoshkumar.run...@gmail.com> > Date: Tue, 4 Feb 2014 17:33:24 +0530 > Subject: > To: Dipendra Manocha <dipendra.mano...@gmail.com>, J L Kaul > <aicbde...@yahoo.com>, "A.K. Mittal 2" <akmit...@rediffmail.com>, > rajive raturi <rajive.rat...@hrln.org>, K Ramkrishna > <contact.ramkris...@gmail.com>, Javed Abidi <abid...@gmail.com>, > ajayaror...@gmail.com, Amba Salelkar > <amba.salel...@inclusiveplanet.org.in> > > To > > > > All the friends and activists in Disability sector, > > > > Dear colleagues, > > > > As one of the activists in the sector like you all I am sending this mail > to apprise you with the development on the issue of Bill on the rights of > persons with disabilities and also would like to share some of the concerns > which every committed activist in the disability sector needs to pounder > and decide for himself and herself the future of disability movement. > > > > To begin with may I draw your attention to the fact that some activists and > particularly DRG activists campaigned for introduction and passage of the > Bill on the rights of persons with disabilities without even caring to know > its contents. This probably is the most damaging part of the activisms > where advocacy is undertaken around such an important issue viz. > legislation on the rights of persons with disabilities without knowing its > contents beyond the comprehension of any prudent person. On the other hand > my organization did not approve of this approach and instead started its > efforts to obtain a copy of the Bill as approved by the Cabinet before > taking the position. As soon as I could obtained a copy of the Bill as > approved by the Cabinet and took a position that this Bill in its present > form should not be introduced. I also simultaneously decided to initiate > an indefinite agitation against this Bill and wrote a detailed letter to > the then Minister for Social Justice & Empowerment along with suggestions > for change in the Bill. I also circulated this letter along with the > suggestions to all of you through mail. After its circulation among you > all, Ms. Shyamala on behalf of DRG contacted us through Mr. Dipendra > Minocha and a meeting was arranged in which it was decided that the Bill in > the present form was not acceptable and a decision was taken to formulate > amendments to the Bill for submission to the Govt. > > > > It is in this backdrop that a joint forum was formed and I made my > substantial contribution in finalizing the amendments to be submitted > collectively on behalf of the joint forum. Since my organization (NFB) had > already given a call of indefinite agitation from 28.1.14, it was agreed > that while NFB will continue with its announced agitation, the amendments > to be suggested will be common. It was also agreed that the Forum was to > work on the principle of collective leadership and also on the principle of > transparency. On the first day of National Federation of the Blind's > agitation we would called by Mr. Kapil Sibbal, Hon'ble Law Minister and > this was communicated through Mr. Muralidharan representing NPRD to Mr. > Javed and Ms. Shyamala but only Mr. Muralidharan turned up. However, I > reported the deliberations that took place in the meeting with Hon'ble Law > Minister who assured us to look into the issues afresh and even to refer > the matter for opinion of Attorney General wherever required. Thereafter > we also had a meeting on the next day of agitation with Secretary and Joint > Secretary of Department of Disability Affairs wherein it was agreed that > the amendments suggested will be considered and also that when the Bill > will be introduced and referred to the standing Committee, the amendments > suggested by us and accepted by the Govt. will be submitted to the Standing > Committee as official amendments. This also was shared with everyone > including the constituents of Joint Forum. Thereafter a press conference > was organized on behalf of joint Forum and it was agreed that press > statement draft of which was agreed upon will be circulated among the > members and nobody will read the same. It was further agreed that > representatives of different organizations will speak on the agreed issues. > However, giving a go bye to this agreed arrangement, Mr. Javed started with > giving a background and reading the statement as if he was leading the > Forum. Not only this, he also summarized to reinforce that he was the > leader of the Forum which arrangement was never agreed upon. The principle > of transparency and collective leadership was also given a go bye when Mr. > Javed and Ms. Shyamala went to meet Rahul Gandhi without inviting others > and represented to him that they were the representators of the joint Forum. > The story of self imposition of leadership, betrayal and violation of > principles of transparency does not end here. The march organized on > 3.2.14 at India Gate was a clear example of dishonesty and betrayal by the > self imposed leaders. Mr. Javed and Ms. Shyamala disappeared from the spot > without letting us know about any meeting with any leader or bureaucrat and > did not come back until 1.15 p.m. Later it was revealed that they > discussed the amendments submitted on behalf of joint forum as the leaders > of joint forum and gave their agreement to the Govt. position with regard > to the amendments without even sharing with anyone leave aside > consolidating anyone. To our great surprise, it was learnt that they press > for introduction and passage of the Bill even by compromising agreed > non-negotiables. I have been able to find out that the non-negotiables on > the issue of non discrimination section, reservation in promotion and even > on the suggested formulation on legal capacity have been compromised. To > put the blind sector to further dis-advantage they have also agreed to > allow the Bill to be passed without the definition of low vision which is > stated to be notified at a later stage. This is complete betrayal . > > > > The situation as on today is as follows:- > > > > The Bill is listed for introduction without amendments and in its current > form before the Rajya Sabha for 5.2.2014 and Govt. claims to bring the > official amendments later. This Govt. position cannot be understood as the > amendments have not yet been approved by the Cabinet and thereafter how the > official amendments will be brought is not understandable. There is an > eminent danger that if the opposition does not rescue us, the Bill could be > passed in its current form in which the entire responsibility will rest on > the self styled leader/ leaders who have betrayal the disability community > in the name of unity. > > > > I think that no one in the disability sector who is committed and who keeps > her or her egos and interests aside for achieving the larger objective of > protecting the rights of persons with disabilities, an allow this to happen > and cannot make this subservient to such a self claimed leader. > > Let me assure you that our agitation against the Bill in the current form > will continue and we will not allow its passage at any cost without proper > amendments taking into consideration the interests of all disabilities. I > would like you all to reflect an answer within yourself the following in > the light of above situation: > > a) Can a activist be pardoned for undertaking campaign for the passage > of the Bill without knowing its contents which will have a large > implication on different disabilities? > > b) Can such an activist claim to be the leader and representative of a > disability sector? > > c) Who is responsible for the introduction of such a flawed Bill and > how a person responsible for the damage caused by introduction of a flawed > bill by the Govt., can claimed the leadership of the sector? > > d) What matters more- an individual leadership or the interests of the > disability sector. > > e) What is the wayout from this existing critical situation where > Govt. has already notified the introduction of a flawed Bill and where the > amendments are yet to be finalized and approved by the Cabinet. > > f) Should political affiliation of an individual overtake the > interest of disability? > > g) In the name of unity of disability sector, should an individual or > an organization be allowed to play with the sentiments of disabled for the > self imposition of leadership. I leave you all with these thoughts so that > you may individually or collectively workout your future strategy. > > > > With regards > > > > S.K. Rungta > > > > -- > Ajay Arora phd research scholar > Centre for the Study of Law and Governance > JNU > Nelson Mandela Marg > New Delhi India > > Time to meet up again! > Register for AccessIndia Convention 2014: > http://accessindia.org.in/harish/convention.htm > > > > Register at the dedicated AccessIndia list for discussing accessibility of > mobile phones / Tabs on: > http://mail.accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/mobile.accessindia_accessindia.org.in > > > Search for old postings at: > http://www.mail-archive.com/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/ > > To unsubscribe send a message to > accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in > with the subject unsubscribe. > > To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please > visit the list home page at > http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in > > > Disclaimer: > 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the > person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; > > 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails > sent through this mailing list.. Time to meet up again! Register for AccessIndia Convention 2014: http://accessindia.org.in/harish/convention.htm Register at the dedicated AccessIndia list for discussing accessibility of mobile phones / Tabs on: http://mail.accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/mobile.accessindia_accessindia.org.in Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/ To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in Disclaimer: 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails sent through this mailing list..
