Communist Party of India (Marxist)

19^th Congress

Anil Biswas Nagar

Coimbatore

March 29 to April 3, 2008

Resolution Adopted at the XIX Congress

On The Rights of “Differently Abled” on April 3, 2008

The XIX  Congress of the CPI(M) expresses its solidarity with the efforts of the disabled, rightly termed “differently abled” and  their guardians to demand the expansion and implementation of laws and projects meant for them.   It calls upon its  units and mass organizations to take up their cause, help to organize  them and  to bring their needs into national agendas. 

XIX Congress  asserts that differently abled persons do not want charity but demand recognition as human beings  and citizens  in their own right.  Although it is estimated that the “differently abled” constitute over 6 per cent  of the population, they are undercounted  in the Census  reflecting their invisibilisation.  The main law dealing with their rights, the  persons with Disability Act 1995 is  inadequate and even what is recognized as a right is not implemented.  The reservation quota of 3 per cent employment for disabled persons is also not implemented.  In almost all States, they are denied identity cards, medical certificates, concessions like bus and railway passes.  There is no national scheme for pension for differently abled and women and girl children suffer from the added victimization of gender, so special efforts are required for them.    Although the Central government has adopted a policy of “inclusive education”, no provision for infrastructural facilities or special training for teachers have been made thus weakening the programme.   At the same time, work of teachers in special schools is unrecognized and since they are often in NGO-run schools, they are denied proper salaries.

The XIX Congress of the CPI(M) resolves to expand its work to take up the issues and rights of differently abled in different spheres.