The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Main News*Aditi Tandon Tribune News Service * *New Delhi, December 23*<http://www.tribuneindia.com/2010/20101224/main5.htm>
Crisis today hit the government-appointed committee constituted to draft the new disability law, with one of its seven disabled members quitting in protest against the committee’s indifference to its mandate. Others have threatened to follow suit if their voices were ignored. Rajiv Rajan, a Chennai-based disability activist, suffering from cerebral palsy, today tendered his resignation to Sudha Kaul, chairperson of the committee, alleging lack of democracy in the panel and complaining against the committee abandoning its mandate by going ahead with “One Disability Law Code” comprising six separate laws on the sector. Constituted on April 30 by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, the committee was given four months to rework the existing Persons with Disabilities Act 1995 and draft one comprehensive disability law with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) on mind. The idea was to have one law. In his resignation e-mailed today, Rajan says, “I don't go with many things the committee is doing. The most important being the direction given to the legal consultant to go ahead with the disability code work. The concept of comprehensive law is being misunderstood by most committee members. There’s fear the committee would divide the sector instead of uniting it. I don’t see any possibility of passing five-six different laws at one go.” India ratified the UN Convention on Disability in 2007 but has since failed to frame a new law. The Committee, eight months since its inception, is nowhere near completion, with the chairperson seeking a third extension this month. Its earlier deadlines expired on August 30 and October 30. When contacted, Kaul said she was abroad and didn’t know of any resignation. “I haven’t checked by e-mails,” she said. Meanwhile, other disabled members of the committee also slammed the “One Disability Law Code” proposed to have six laws on disability rights, disability rights authority; National Trust Authority; Rehabilitation Council of India Authority and the Mental Health Authority. “This is unacceptable,” said Shyamla, a member. The Code is learnt to have been proposed by Amita Dhanda, law professor at NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad. http://www.tribuneindia.com/2010/20101224/main5.htm Disability activist quits Central panel TNN, Dec 24, 2010, 04.55am IST CHENNAI: Disabled activist Rajiv Rajan on Thursday resigned from the committee constituted by the social justice and empowerment ministry to draft a new law for the disabled. Rajan, also part of the Disability Rights Alliance, Tamil Nadu, said, "The committee is planning a disability code and five separate laws that will be difficult and confusing to implement," he said. The activist said he had tried to explain this to the committee over the past few months but as they were not open to his suggestions, he quit in protest. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Disability-activist-quits-Central-panel/articleshow/7153620.cms -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Mental Health Advocacy (News 'N Views) India" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/MhaNewsViewsIndia?hl=en ------------- Affiliated Groups : MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCACY INDIA [email protected] Discussions on mental health law / policy / plan monitoring / human rights etc [email protected] India-specific news and views related to mental health [email protected] Information and support to carers of people with mental health issues [email protected] Mutual support and sharing of experiential knowledge, skills and social learning amongst peers
