DISABILITYT SINCLUSIⅦ INDIA

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Dr.Ruchi Ramcsh

Dr.Sudhir Kumar Singh

In fusociation with

SOCIETY FOR SOCIAL EMPOVERMENT, NEIT DELHI

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ISBN 978‐ 81-8274‐ 566‐7

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al Opportunideshat are given by:tween the ruralpoor, male and

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Parliament vis-I-vis Social Justice toDisabled Persons

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Introduction - Significance of Parliament

Parliament has a lot of say in engineering social justice. Of late,

its role has come to the fore considerably. Parliament wields enormous

poryer in ensuring accounubility of the Ministry of Social Justice and

Empowerment, through which various schemes for the disabled are

executed. There is no denying of the fact that monitoring of various

schemes by different actors in the Scene is required. \7ith the'helpof various weapons that are at its disposal, Parliament maintains a

steady check on the Ministry and implementation of variousproBrammes and plans aimed at empowering the Disabled to lead a

honest and honourable live.

Parliament had enacted laws in connection with marriage, divorce,

reseryation, untouchabiliry labour, children, women, factories,

atrocities, agriculture et al which had undoubtedly hastened fie social

justice to percolate deep into the weakest and vulnerable strata ofsociery. It would not be an exaggeration to say thar Parliament, along

with State Assemblies contribute in bringing about social justice inmuldfarious fields.

170 D:SABILiTγ :丁OwARDS INCLUS:VE INDlA

It is stated that Legislature is an agency which determines thenature and aims of social jusrice. To deliver social justice to the people,first and foremost requisire is, people should be iddndfied. Secondcomes the interests, needs and rhe problems of those people who are

in need of social justice.

It is widely believed and accepted that law is an instrument ofsocial justice. It is also believed that social jusrice must flow fromthe legal system as otherwise 'rule or law' will break down. Socialjustice includes welfare, and empowerment of disadvantaged andmarginalized sections of the sociery namely, Scheduled Castes, Agedpersons, Persons wirh Dis$llities, Backward Classes, Victims of DrugAbuse, etc.

Safeguards Provided in the ConstitutionArticle 14 of the Constitution guarantees that no person will be

denied equaliry before the law. Ardcles 15, 16, 17 of rhe FundamentalRighs and Articles 38, 39 , 39 A, 4l , 43 , 43A and 46 of the DirectivePrinciples, related to the yarious social, economic and polidcd justice,

getting inspiration from the protective umbrella of futicle 31(C) andthus, contributing to the process of uansformation in the sociery. Itis not an exaggerarion to state that 'social justice' and 'rule of law'are interdependent. Both have to go together in order to achievejusdce, equaliry and freedom, .,

Under futicle 253 to rhe Constitution of India read with itemNo.13 of the Union List, the Government of India enacted "ThePersons with Disabilides (Equal Opportuniries, Protection of Rightsand FuIl Participation) Act, 1995."1 This endeavour was to make sure

that equal opportunities are given to the persons with disabilities and

participation in the nation-building is fi.rll and complete.

Various constitutional provisions are there in the Constitution ofIndia especially those which are relevant to social justice andempowerment, as highlighted above. For eximple, for security

equaliry and justice, Constitution provides Parliament to enact laws,

which citizens are expected to obey in order to achieve the aim forwhich the legal provisions are brought in. In this, the role of both

che implementing agencies and common citizens is important. Butin India, we have numerous religions, castes, cusroms, and above dl

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PRruIeueruT VIS.A-VIS SocIAL JUSTICE To DISABLED PERSoNS

different political parries. under these circumsrances, enacting lawsis an arduous task. Parliament has the p"ramount dury and right toenact layrs keeping in view the prevailing and developing economicand social circumstances. First and foremost, it has to keep in mindthe requirement of the people. According to D.R. Jatava:

"The religion-based legal system, which dominated rhe Indiansociery traditionally through the ages, has given way to the newlegal sysrem based on the constitution. The divine origin of thesocial theory does not have any meaning in the p..renr ser-up.From the legal viewpoint, the significance ofVarnashram Dharmacarries no weight, no relevance, to the modern mind. However,there are certain religions, which have their 'personal laws' suchas the Muslim and Hindu laws. Some of these laws do not accordwith the spirit of the Constirution and indirectly oppose theequality before law. Thus, the Indian legislatures h"re b..nentrusted with decisive roles in bringing abour uniformity in ourlegal system."2

Various Acts have been passed in Parliament which airned atextending reiervation opportunities to certain classes to promoteequaliry in the sociery or imparting social justice in differenr strataof sociery.

Before going into the nimy-gritty of the functionings of theMinistry, I would like ro briefly state abour rhe persons withdisabilities. As per the 2001 Census, there are Z.l9 crore.3 They are2.13 percent of the total population of rhe country. 'Persons withdisabilities' include those who have visual, hearing, speech, locomotorand mental disabilities. According to the 58th Round of the NationalSample Survey (NSS) of 2002, rhere were 208 lakh persons wirhdisabilities in2002 (Report No.485 at S.No.88). h is also stated thar75 per cent of such persons live in rural areasl 49 per cent of themis literate and only 34 per cenr are employed. This is the sorry startof affairs. Hence, catering to their needs is indeed a tall order forthe Government.

Ministry of SocialJustice and Empowerment

Ministry of Social Justice and Empowermenr is engaged in

171

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Mhお try OfSod」 Jusdcc and卜 PowCrmcntお 占 c nOdal Ministryto takc carc OfsOcial justicc in all i“ aspectso NatiOnal commissiOnfOr schedulcd castcs,NatiOnal cOmmissiOn fOr Backward classcs,

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FOundatiOn,NatiOnal Backward classcs Fl,ance and Dcvc10Pment

COrPOratiOn are sOmc Of thL commis,10ns,councils andFOundatiOns under the Minitt平

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ual Government,itate Public Sectortuthorities for theIn spire of large-rlarly since 1991,livingin the ruralmenr ro dispenselarge chunk of

nt of Persons withI Empowermenr.at emPowermentDisabled Persons

:ndayal Disabledr for Persons witherment of Persons; for Persons withrf Persons with

hemes arising out.sabilides (Equalpation) Acr, 1995tor for Prcviding:s; (b) Models topublic buildings;r Disabilities; (d):eness Generationojects in Mission

he nodal Ministryrnal'Commissioniackward Classes,

rilitation Councilir, Dr. Ambedkarnd Development

Councils and

PRNLIRI,IENT VIS-A.VIS SOChL JUSTICE TO DISABLED PERSONS 173

Minisry extends assisrance to Non-Governmental organizadons(NGos) working for rhe welfare of disadvantrg.d ,..t[ns of thesociery like Drug Addicts, Street Children, Disabled.a

Parliament's Use of Power for Securing Equality andJustice to the Persons with Disabilities

Parliament has a Departmenmlly-Relattd standing commitree onsocia-l Ju.stice and Empowermenr. It consisrs of 2O-Me-bers fromLok sabha and l0 Members from Rajya sabha. In rhe l4th Loksabha, sumitra Maharan is the chairperson of the committee. Fromtime to time, the commitree has been making recommendadons tothe Government.

- Understanding the growin$ importance and growing awareness

of the term 'socid justice, the name of the Ministry of fr.lf"r. ,,,n ,changed to the Ministry of Socid Jusdce and Empowermenr in May,1998' A whole lor of subjecs are dealt by the Ministry namely, socialsecuriry social insurance, providing rerief to rhe disablld and-unemployable; education, uaining and rehabilitation and welfre ofthe physically and mentally handicapped; promotion of effortsincluding voluntary efforts to ensure the well being of the olderpersons; educational and social welfare aspecrs of druiaddition, etc.

In the l4th Lok Sabha, 930 quesrions were asked to sdekinformadon on various :rspects of social justice and emporrermenr.Questions were as varied as Empowermenr of the physicalrychallenged persons, old age homes, transgender population,rehabilitation of physicdly challenged children, Distric bisabiliryRehabiliration cenrres, employing rhe Disabred persons, monthlypension or ex-gratia to widows and handicapped, welfare schemesfor disabled, welfare cenrres for Disabled pe.sorrs, separate Budgetfor Disabled Persons, Public ltansport vehicre for Disabled, c.nt'rrlgranrs to NGOs; amendments to rhe Disabiliry Laws, DisabledChildren, employment of tle Disabled in the privme Sectog, NationalPolicy for the Disabled People, Disabled people living in HillyTribaland Remote Areas.

174 DISABILITY: TOWARDS INCLUSIVE INDIA

L"gd FrameworkFour legislations have specially been directed towards the

protection, welfare, rehabilitation and development of people withdisabilities, They are - Th. Mental Heahh Act, 1987, Persons withDisabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Righcs and FullParticipation) Act, 1995, The National Trust for'Welfare of Persons

with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and MuldpleDisabiliry Act, 1999 and the Rehabilitation Council of India Act,1992.

A comprehensive Nationai Policy for Persons with Disabilities has

been mnounced in February, 2006, which recognized that disabled

people are valuable human resources for the country. Policy aimed

at primarily on prevention of disabiliry early detection andappropriate interventions, physical and economic rehabilitationmeastres, inclusive education, employment in the public and private

sector and self-employment, creation of a barrier-free environmentand development of rehabiliadsn professionals.

India has also ratified The Unircd Nations Convention on the

Rights of People with Disabilides (UNCRPD) in Octobet 2007,which enjoins upon India to ensure rhat all the righm enshrined inthe Constitution, the current legislations, as well as UNCRPD, are

speedily and effectively operadonalized. In the llth Plan, as Indiabeing a signatory of UNCRPD, it is obligatory on the part of Indiato incorporate the essence of Convenrion in our planning,implementadon, monitoring and review Processes.

Promoting Social Justice through Parliament

Now, let me turn to various ways in which parliament has taken

upon imelf to bring in social jusdce. The latest phenomenon which

has entered the annals of parliament, in the 14th I-ok Sabha, is setting

up of different Parliamentary Forums. Namely -1. Parliamentary Forum on'Water Conservation and

Management;2. Parliamentary Forum on Youth-

(a) Sub-Forum on Sports and Youth Development,

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:ted towards the '',nt of people with987, Persons withf Righis and FullWelfue of Persons

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PARL:AMENtt VIS― A‐VIS SOC:AL」 USTICE TO D;sABLED PERSONS t75

(b) Sub-Forum on Health,(c) Sub-Forum on Educadon,(d) Sub-Forum on Employmenu

3. Parliamentary Forum on Children;

4. Parliamentary Forum on Population and Public ,e1ln

The decision to set up Parliamentary Forums on different subjects

was ar rbe initiation of the Speaker, Lok Sabha, Somnath Chatterjee

so that Members of Parliament Q?n discuss the critical issues in a

structured manner and also to raise the issue more effectively on the

floor of the House.5 These Forums would help the Members ofParliament to equip themselves and understand the issues in a bener

fashion. The broad aim and objective of these Fora are to equip the

Members of Parliament with information and knowledge regarding

issues and developments in different areas and also to make them

aware of the seriousness of the siuation and to enable them to adopt

a result-oriented approach towards these issues.6

On the above lines, I would like to sugBest here that a

parliamentary Forum on Social Justice should be ser up to look into

various aspecrs of social justice, including Persons with Disabilities,

and to make sure the social justice is meted out to those who are in

"*i,.lt:'l|ifiilt'r* upon rhe tunctions of these Forums. These

Forums would focus their deliberations on srrareBies relating to

respective problems; discuss and prepare strategies; build great

"**r.ro, in all secdons of rhe sociery particularly at the grass-roots

level; identify problems and make suggestions/recommendations for

considerarion and appropriate action by government/organizations

concerned; identify rhe ways of involving Members of Parliiment in

these issues; organize seminars/worlshops/orienration programmes,

etc. to create awareness; to interact on a regular basis with concerned

representatives and leaders in order to better appreciate their concerns

arrd probl.ms; to consider ways for improving Parliamentt out-reach

ro diff.r.nt secdons of sociery in order to reinforce their faith and

commitment in democratic institutions and encouraBe their active

participation therein; to provide a platform to Parliamentarians to

176 DlsAB:LITγ :TowARDS INCLUS!VE IND:A

cxchange idcas,views,cxPcriCnccs,&pertisc,in a structurcd manncr

and Ю havc an intcrLcc宙ふcivu socicけ in highHghting concclned`,

issues:induding intcr― alia,the vOluntary scctoら media and c9rpOratc

SCCtOr and thcrcby tO fOster cfFcctivc stratcgic PartnCrshiPs in the¬

conccrncd arcas:holdじ Omprchcnsivc dia10guc and discusslon in

rCSPCCtiVC mattcrs with exPerts at the iatiOlal and intemational lcvels

and tO have interactions with the multilatera1 0rganizatiOAs likc

WHO,UN agcndeslike UNICEE ctct acadcmicians,cxPert rCPOrtS,

studies,ncws and trend― analysis,ctc.wOrld=widc and c6nccrncd

govcrnmcnt agcncics,which arc g,Fmand 10 dcvc10Pmcnts i,thc

conccrned scct617

By the fOrmadOn OfabOvc Foru轟 ζ,Parliamcnt has turned a newleaf宙dl the s01c intchtion ofaddrcssing dle mづOr PЮbicms afnicdng

Ⅲ c nati9n in an Organittd,anncr widl thc hclP OfcxPё rtS OPiniOn,

with the lnvaluable inPЧ ts frOn■ the think_thank On the cOncernedi fleld and acting as an aPPcndagc to Parliamcnt,rclatcd Standing

90平mittec and the Ministry hclPing.This wOuld certainly add tO

the parliamentt cOntribution tO thc dcmocr,cy and natiOn building

■it WOuld takc up thё issucs cOnccrning a Particular tOPic and fully

,早d`pmPletcly discuss and Flnd a viabl,S01utiOn thrOugh its incisivc

attd lhOughl_PrOVOking dclibcritiOns.Membcis Of thcsc Forumswould have thc bcncFlt Of cxPcrt ad宙 CC a,d thc assistancc of think_

ぬnⅢ h knowing LHy thc htdあ dぃ aAd cOmPL対 dcs Of thc Lsuc

il,V01Ved in■“e Forums,which wOdd in tum hdP the Mcmbers ヽ

to knOw.thё issic in its truc sensc to arrivc at a solutiOn and tO fOrm

a c9nsidered oPiniOno This is a welcOmc stcP.This wOuld Only lesscn

the burdcn Of thc Ministries and C6mmittees to a ceFtain extent in

dcaling with thc resPcctiVC hittcrs aha would ccrtainly helP the

Ministrics and Committces to r,sol宙ngthe issues raiscd or taken uP

in thcsc Forurns.

In Oict mind,an aPPrehcnsion may arisc about thc clash Of

intCrCStS betwccn thc ministrics/dcPartmcnts/committees On thc onc

hand,and thcsc FOrums on the othcr hand.It has bccn made dear

that the inctioning of thesc ForuFnS WOuld not imPingc ott the

ministries/dcPar,meitsノ committees.The imPOrtant and Pressing

issucs∞ nceming tl警 e Forums∞ mc uP beforc Pa」 iamcnt o■ en.

Through thesc Forums, a sinccllc efIOrt has bccn made to havc a

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a structured manner

;hlighting concernedmedia and corporareparmerships in the

e and discussion ind international levelsI organizations likecians, expert reports,ride and concernedlevelopments in 6hs

:nt has turned a newrr problems afflictingr of expdrts opinion,.k on the concernedrt, related Srandinguld certainly add toand nadon buildingcular topic and fullyr through its incisive,rs of these Forumsassistance of think-

rlexides of the issue

r help the Membersoludon and to form.is would only lessen

: a certain extent inI certainly help the:s raised or taken up

about the clash ofnmiftees on the oneras been made clearror impinge on therrtanr and pressing'e Parliamenr often.:en made to have a

PARL:AMENtt V:S‐ A―v!s soc:AL」 USTlcE TO D:sABLED PERSONS 177

focused presenrarion of issues in parliamenr, which would go a longway in knowing and understanding of rhe problems. This is te primereason behind formation of drese Forums on important topics.

BPST also holds Lectures and seminars for Members ofParliament and of Srate Legislatures. It also organizes orientationProgrammes and seminars for Media personnel accredited to the press

Galleries of Parliament, apart from Tfaining and Refresher courses,Appreciarion courses for officers of Secretariats of parliament andof sate Legislatures in India and orhers. It also organizes Thaining,Attachment and Study visits/tours of rhe presiding officers,Members and officers of foreign Parliaments and goue.n*".nt officers,academics, scholars, students and others.s

Padiament wields enormous power in the governance of thecounrpy. The actions of governmenr can be questioned andscrutinized by. Parliament in its functioning, parliament has beenequipped with many consritutional provisions to rake up issuesconcerning rhe policies, schemes, programmes and plans of thegovernmenr. These provisions should be made ro more ,rr. to .nr,rr.that funds meanr for the benefir of Disabled persons and personsbelong to vulnerable srrara ofsociery reach them and they reap thefruits of such programmes. The currenr trend of norr-utiiirrtiin offunds, return of funds allocated to the programmes meanr for theupliftmenr of Disabled Persons should go.

So far, rwo Round Thble Discussions have taken place under theaegis of Lok Sabha. Borh Discussions were on .Strengthening

Parliamentary Democracy'. Here I would like ro suggesr that a RoundThble Discussion should be amempted on the topic'Rendering socialJustice'. Many eminenr personalides should be invited ro participarein the Discussion to strengthen the delivery mechanism of socialjustice across the country. Parliament has the statutory role to takethe lead in dispensing social justice and ro ensure rhat the laws whichare in the stature book are implemented in letter and spirit. And th,osewho take the laws in their own hands or those who do nor strictlyabide by the law, should be taken ro task and should be penalizedheavily. Parliamenr has a pivotal role to play here. Implementingagencies should undersrand the role of Parliament in its rightperspective. Non-MPs too should be asked to participare in rhe

t78 DISABILITY: TOWARDS INCLUSIVE INDIA

discussions of the Parliamentary Forurn on Social Justice. Forum

should meet at regular intervals to take stock of the prevailingsituation in the realm of happenings concerning social justice. This

would certainly be a step in the right direction and would contribute

in not only highlighting the pbw95s oF parliament but also bringabout much needed and desired awareness among the.implementing

agencies and generd public alike.Another important initiative by the Hon. Speaker, Lok Sabha,

Shri Somnith Chatterjee was the Inaugural Professor Hiren Mukerjee

Memorail Parliamentary Lecture, which was delivered by Prof.

Amartya Sen on I l th August, 2008. The theme of the First Lecture

was 'The Demands of Social Justice'. Prof. Sen'-reminded of the

speech of Hiren Mukerjee about the need for a social commitmentto help produce a sociery that "enables all people to rise to the'fullsrarure of their being." Hon. speaker introduced this T.ecture Series

with a view to help bring in some of the issues of great concern to

the common people of our country and of contemPorary relevance

ro rhe centre-stage of our socio-political discourse. He thought it right

to think that it is only appropriate that the Parliament, being the

highat represenative body of the people, should initiate that process.

in his welcome address, he stated, "we have to 8o a long way in

building a progressive and ProsPerous India that our Founding

Fathers had visualized for the country at the dawn of Independence.providing social and economic justice to the vast segments of the

masses who have been kept out of rhe mainstream of, our socio-

political life should be among the core concerns of our country

iodry....." He is sure *rat this Lecture would sdmulate a national

debate on rhe need to creare conditions for all our citizens, regardless

of their caste and creed; to enjoy justice and equaliry; and other

democratic rights for a dignified existence.

1lth FiveYear Plan Q0A7-LZ)In his foreword to the Eleventh Five Year Plan (2007'12) -

Inclusive Growrh, vol, 1, Prime Minisrer laid emphasis on the need

ro ensure that growth is widely spread so thar its benefits, in terms

oF income and employment, are adequately shared by rhe poor and

weaker sections of our sociery, especially the scheduled casres (SCs)

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rcial Justice. Forumk of the prevailingg social justice. Thisrd would contributenent but also bringrg the.implementing

ipeaker, Lok Sabha,ssor Hiren Mukerjeedelivered by Prof.

: of the First Lectureen--reminded of thesocial cominitment

rle to rise ro the fulld this Lecture Series

of great concern totemporary relevance

:. He thought it rightrrliament, being theinitiate that process.

.o go a long way inthat our Foundingvn oflndependence./ast segments of thetream of, our socio-:rns of our countrystimulate a nationalur citizens, regardless

equaliry; and other

r Plan (2007-12) -mphasis on the need

im benefits, in terms.red by the poor andreduled Castes (SCs)

PARLIAMENT VIS.A-VIS SocIAL JUSTICE To DISABLED PERSoNS I79

and the Scheduled Tlibes (STs), Other Baclcward Classes (OBG) and

minorities. If this has to be turned into realiry the further stated,"the growth. must be inclusive in the broadest term. It must occur

not just in our major cities but also in our villages and small towns."Volume 6 of the Eleventh Five Year Plan document deals with

Social Justice: It deals with the Scheduled Castes (SCs) and the

Scheduled Tiibes (STs), Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and

Minoritidi. Apart from them, persons with disabilities (orthopaedic,

visual, hearing, speech and mental disabilities), oldei persons,victims of substance and alcohol abuse, street children, beggars and

victims of substances, who have been discussed in 'Other VulnerableGroups'.

Government has been making efforts to ensure overalldevelopment of 'Other Vulnerable Groups' of the sociery.in

.multifarious ways. Its main target is to improve educationaldevelopment, economic development, ensuring protectivemeasures, providing access to income earning assets in the fieldof agricultural land and capital assets, improving their employ-ment situation, economic status, improving their representation

in government services, ensuring their reservation in educationand employment, ensuing affordable and accountable primaryhealth care facilities, preventing land alienation, ensuring theirsocial development, etc.

In the 1lth Plan, a tentative ouday of Rs.13,043 crore has been

earmarked for the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment forthe development of SCs, OBs and other vulnerable groups.e Period

review of schemes, plans, programmes and programmes should be

carried out from time to time if we really want to see the-success

stories. Initiatives should be undertaken to ensure that these funds

are spent and SCs, OBs and other vulnerable groups get the benefits

of its successful implementation. Enough funds should be allocated

for undertaking research on the whole gamut of issues relating to

Disabled Persons and Other Vulnerable Groups. Above all,monitoring and evaluation mechanism should be in place at every

stage to ensure that Disabled persons and other vulnerable grouPs

derive benefits of such schemes of the Government.

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180 DISABILITY: ToWARDS INCLUSIVE INDIA

Parliament, Press and Social JusticeParliament's role in derivering the sociar justice is rremendous. The

role of rhe Press in bringing mJre issues r.ladng ,o ,*J.rirfr.i"rtr:i* before the people-would creare a coniuciv.

",_oiph.r..Parliament can be'made more vibranr by bringing u.ror.-iJ-or.issues. coverage of parriament in press shourd bJ in"creased ,o

" ,,.ry

great exrenr. Press should also keep in mind the efforis of rhe Mpsto- lrip issues concerning sociar jusdce on rhe floor of bott, Ho,rr.,:f P,*tT*t. At present, i, i, no, so. This trend should be correctedrorthwlch.

. similarly, parliamenr should generare public awareness about irs

role, powers and functioning, paiticularly matters concerning socialjustice.

Parliament wields enormous power in the governance of thecounrry. The actions of governmenr .r, bJ quesrioned and

. scrudnized by Parliamenr in i.' functioning. This advanrage should!e

taken seriously by bringing more and mole issues .o.r..rirrg ro.irl,usuce.

If one is an avid follower of parriamentary debates, one can easilydecipher how press plays a rol. in almost eyery aspec of the debate.Members keep churning out commenm, figures, and the performanceof the programmes of the governmenr de6"re afrer debace, J"y

"n.,day.- It was righdy *"t.d rhar: ,,Mo.sr of rhe ,"rn ,r,"r.r-iir, fo,parliamentary questions, morions, d.L"ro and discussions, comesfrom the daily press and this is an imporranr instrumenr on which aMember relies."lo

There c:rnnor be m9 opinions on the fact rhar the exposure givenby the.press-to the parliamenary news and debates, ,o ,ry ,h. Lrrr,is minimal. This sorry state of affairs can be altered by hightighti'gmany issues and debates- rhat take place in parliamenr J"riig rhiSessions and take rhe parliamenrar), news and parliamenrary def,"r.,many hotches up in standard. press can make general public andreaders more aware of the decisions and debates rh* ,"i. place inParliament during rhe sessions. parliamentary debares should fe gir.nmore promi.r.rr.. in ne\ rspapers, which would artract rh. ",r.itio'of readers of newspapers, and would uldmarely help tha public ro

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rareness about itsconcerning social

)vernance of thequesrioned andrdvantage shouldconceming social

es, one can easily:ct of the debare.the performancedebate, day afterv materials, forcussions, comesnenr on which a

e exposure givento say rhe leasr,by highlightingrenr during thenentary debareseral public andrt take place inshould be given:t rhe amentiono thi public ro

PARttAMENT VIs― A―vis sociAL」 UsT:cE To DisABLED PER30NS 181

fOrm an OPittiOn on imPortant issues discussed in Parlialncnt.By this

wayp Prcss can awakc PuЫに彎

賀 cneSS°n imPOrtant natiOnal issucs,which wOuld resuit in more宙 brant dcmocraγ and natiOn buildingin thc 10ng run.

Wc can lcvitalizc Parliamcnt

識LT枇出身棚t40Pi■iOn that prcss is an cxtcnsio

Plays a vcry signiflcant and vi

翼器 F鵬電群 t虞癬穏鳳群盤thc PcriOd when Parliamcnt is h

shOuld bc givcn mOrc Pronlincncc in thc ncwsPaPCrs,which wOuld

出mttdy ttP■c岬“。おr置

轟1翼lf∬jⅧモllばiSSIC likC taking Qrc Of thc Disal

誡iS∬柵 鮒iI蠍∫棚螺1躙

T棚building in thc 16ng run.

Ensuring cffcctiveness Of Acts is a Hcrculean task tO thc

鱗邊i道l曇繊儀職iDuntry.

Radi9 and TclevisiOn Plays an il■POrtant r01c in take the

P■OgrattmcS Of thc govcrnmcnt tO thc disadvantagcd sectiOns Of the

ぉli麗 FllilょT:量:Ilil:こ1週riout SChcmcs ind Programincs

es,Othcr Backward classes,ctc.

Thesc Programmcs crcatc awarcness aЬ Out thc schemes attd

器 器 W漑 憮 Tfttw憲鰹 鷲

thc imPOrtant CVCnts Of natiOnal ar

著灘鰤 1揮掛蠍靴辮器詳,ad°

nal Day against Drug Abuscand 11licit Traf「lcking On 26th Juic,ctc.

ExhibitiOns by thc GOvcrnment too contribuF tO thc awa"nCSS

of the prOgrarnmes and schehes of ttc Ministtt it reaches out tO

182 D:SABILiTY:TOWARDS INCLUSIVE IND:A

the general public and those who are in need of it. MinisTI .

p"r,i"ip",o in the India InternationalTiade Fair in New Delhi, Dillii{""r, i.l.* Delhi, Suraj Kund Mela in Haryana, etc'

Conclusion - Influence of Parliament

srrenuous efform should be made by the Government to make

Parliament more effecdve in ensuring that social justice is offered to

people who deserve the most. It would not be out of place to say

ir.r. ,h", parliament should convene a brainsrorming session on how

ro enforce the laws for bringing about social justice in dl spheres of

sociery and in the implemJr,r*',io' of va,ious plans, schemes, and -

programmes that are meant for enforcing social justice in the country.' Lok Sabha Television, a brainchild of the current Lok

Sabha Speaker, Hon ble somnath chatteriee, came into being during

the 14th Lok sabha, The primary intention for the introduction of

l,ok Sabha Television was faithfirl rePortinB about whatever transpires

in the chamber of Lok sabha. In his address ar the valedictory session

of the 14ch All India \(hips conference, Mumbai on 5 February,

2008, Speaker, Lok Sabha remarked: "It was felt that for

,tr..rgth.rrirrg Parliamentary democracy it is essendal that the people

oF th". .o*.riry at large, who have constituted the Lok Sabha by

ele*ing their iepresenlatirres as Members, should have the right to

know ri,hat was h"pperring inside rhe House, how the Members were

behaving, wh"t laws were passed, what issues were discussed, amongst

othe. thingr.'lt One of *re main'reasons for the introduction of Lok

SabhaTeliision is rhat people who come to witness the proceedings

from rhe Visitor's Gafery face a lot of inconvenience. 'With the

introduction of Lok sabha Television, the whole country can watch

the proceedings of Lok sabha. In order words, Parliament has now

,.".^h.d .\,.ry-Tv-o*rring or warching citizen of India and the des

of every India have been c-emdnted with the wonderfirl building called

Parliament of India. More and more Programmes' debates and

discussions should be aired ro reach out to the disadvantaged people

and to bring awareness about the programmes, schemes and policies

of the Government for their upliftment'programmes and films "imld

at sensitizing and highlighting the

・Ｉ●■―――■■キトーー

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―

―

,d of it. Ministryn New Delhi, Dillietc.

vernment to make

iustice is offered torut of place to say

ing session on howce in all spheres of.ans,,schemes, and;tice in the country.the current Lok: into being duringhe introduction ofwhatever ranspiresvaledictory session

rai on 5 Februaryvas felt that fordal that the peoplerhe Lok Sabha byI have the right tothe Members werediscussed, amongstrtroduction of Lok:ss the proceedinp:nience. '!7ith

thecountry can watcharliament has nowIndia and rhe ties

rfirl building calledmes, debates andadvantaged peoplehemes and policies

d highlighting rhe

PARLIAMENT VIS-A-VIS SOCIAL JUSTICE TO DISABLED PERSONS 183

struggles and problems being faced on a day to day basis by the

Disabled Persons in the prime time would have an indelible impact

and would go a log way in making government and private institu-

dons disabled-friendly.Parliament's main function is to legislate. Presently, due to

coaiition polidcs, Parliament is not able to contribute adequately in

this sphere. Government has to take all its coalition Partners with itif it wants to implement any scheme or Programme. In the process,

it faces many hurdles. Hence, arienues for revitalizing Parliamentt

contribution to democracy and nadon building are far and wide.

Certainly, Parliament and parliamentary debates can be made more

vibrant by merely bringing before Parliament more importantconcerns of different facts of social iustice for discussion and for

finding discernible soludons. Parliament's time can be used in a

meaningful manner to highlight peoples' issues or concerns ofdownuodden people and having threadbare discussions on issues

involving education, health, housing and other needs of the schedule

Castes, Disabled, Aged Persons, etc. More participation of Members

in Parliamentary debates would bring out the finer elements of issues

having impact on peoPle.

Efforts are underway through the implementation bf mega project

to make Government schools in Delhi disabled-friendly'r2 It is

reported that a sum of Rs.245 crore is allocated for upgrading the

1gg schools to make them disabled-friendly. Special teachers have

been appointed and hearing aids and specacles are also provided to

the children with special needs' Apart from the above' 50 special

Educators had been recruited; 1,048 visually impaired students in

Government schools of Delhi and aided schools had been given 80

per cent of the text books in Braille.r3

Before serious initiative is taken to discuss the issue of social justice

to disabled persons, we have ro remove the gross injustice meted- out

ro rhem. A ionducive atmosphere should be created for the disabled

person to lead a normal life. It is certainly a rvelcome feature to see

i' th. recent past buildings are designed to make them disabled

persons-friendly. central and smte Governmenrs and other actors

.orr..rr.d *ith 'disabled persons' should address the problems being

faced by them and ensure that they contribute producdvely in rhe

184 DISABILITY: ToWARDS INCLUSIVE INDIA

development process of the country. To achieve this Herculean task,

proper and effecdve implementarion of various acts concerning social

justice, in general, and addres,:ing the struggles being faced by persons

with disabilities (orthopaedic, viqpal, hearing, speech and mental

disabilities), older persons, victims of substance and alcohol abuse,

street children, beggars and victims of subsmnces, who have been

discussed under the headiiig 'Other Vulnerable Groups' in. Chapter6 of the 1 l th Plan. A national debate is required on the nuances of'disability'. As discussed in this topic, many steps have been

undermken by the goyernments since Independence but much more

is expected if we have to sadsfy them. Special efforts and drive should

be initiated by the Government to ensure that social jusdce is meted

out to the Disabled Persons and 'Other Vulnerable Groups of the

sociery' so that they could become part of the mainstream.

REFERENCES

1. httpr//social.iustice.nic.in/aboutdivision3.html, retrieved on 13.07.2009.

2. Social Jusdce (In Indian Perspective) by D.R. Jartve, p.124.

3. hmp://socialjusdce.nic.in/aboutdivision3'hrnl, retrieved on 13'07.2009,

4. http://socialjustice.nic.in/faq.html, retrieved on 13.07 .2009.

5. Cells on Parliamentary Forum, htrp://164.100.24.2091 newls/cellso/o

2A ono/o}}parforam.htm fusessed on 3.4.2008.6. rbid.7. Ibid.8. hnp:tlt64.lOA.24.2A9lnaxls/burear-r/bpstAims.htmAssessed on3,4.2008.

9. Elevenrh Five Year Plan Document, Planning Commission, New

Delhi,2007.10. Ibid. p.77.I 1. hcp://speakerlolsabha.nic.in fusessed on 3,4.2008'

12. Parvaiz suhan, "Mega project underway to make Governmenc schools

disabled-frien dlt'', Pioneer (New Delhi), I 6 November, 2008

13. Ibid.

I

'culean task,

:rning social

J by persons

and mental:ohol abuse,

: have been

in Chapter: nuances ofhave been

much more,

drive should.ice is meted:oups of the

am,

13.07.2009.24.

t 13.07,2009.)09./newls/cellso/o

I on 3.4.2008.riission, New

rment schools

r008

PART IV

GENDERED DIMENSION