Mizoram: State consulation for 'political participation of disabled persons' held in Aizawl

A State Consultation for 'Political Participation of Persons with Disabilities' was held today in Mizoram state capital Aizawl.

The event was organised by an NGO group, Zoram Entu Pawl, in partnership with the National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP), from New Delhi, and Shishu Sarothi, a Guwahati based NGO.

The consultation gathering proved to be a relevant and helpful platform for articulating the main concerns and requests of individuals with disabilities, as well as their incorporation into the state agenda for the 2023 state assembly elections.

The purpose of the consultation was to give disabled individuals a forum to express their opinions and concerns about taking part in politics. Thirty-six disabled persons, representatives from political parties, and members of disabled people's organizations attended the event.

Participants in the consultation discussed a range of issues that political parties ought to focus on in their party manifestos, such as ensuring that all disabled people receive Disability Certificates and UDID Cards, filling backlogs in government jobs designated for disabled people, guaranteeing that PwDs are eligible for benefits under the Prime Minister and Chief Minister Housing Schemes, committing to fully accessible public transportation, government websites, and infrastructure, providing adequate facilities for top-notch inclusive education, offering opportunities for skill development and self-employment for disabled people, and taking proactive measures to raise awareness among the appropriate. 

Regarding social security, according to Census 2011, there were 15,160 people with disabilities in the state; however, at present, only 742 of them receive a disability stipend of INR 400 per month. The participants made their demand known, stating that each and every disabled person should receive at least INR 2000 per month.

In order to ensure that people with disabilities are represented in positions of decision-making, from local village councils to state legislatures, it was stressed how critical it is to realize the rights of individuals with disabilities and to increase the state budget allocation for disability-related programs.

In addition, facilities for voters with significant support requirements to cast ballots from home in the next elections were also brought up.

The goal of the consultation is to improve the political inclusion of disabled people at all levels of government and political decision-making. It also aims to increase awareness of the needs and demands of the disabled community and collaborate with political parties to adopt more inclusive policies and practices, foster more inclusive environments, and promote the involvement of disabled people.

Amvalika Senapati, Deputy Director, Shishu Sarothi, stressed during her speech at the ceremony the importance of having political will to incorporate people with disabilities in all development initiatives and policies. She emphasized how crucial it is to explicitly address the needs and concerns of people with disabilities in party policy and how long overdue it is for disability to no longer be considered an afterthought in the process.

It might be pertinent to note that the NCPEDP is conducting a series of consultations on the subject matter in the four other poll bound states of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, and Rajasthan.