Imphal, December 15 2008: ON THE inaugural day of the two days Regional Workshop on Disability, Minister of Law and Legislative Affairs, Th Debendra has called for a sense of dignity, a new world of oneness and efforts to put an end to discrimination against those physically, mentally or visually challenged.

Organised by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in collaboration with the Government of Manipur and Manipur Human Rights Commission at the banquet hall of 1st MR here, the two-day event, December 15-16, is being attended by delegates and representatives of the eight North Eastern states besides officials from the NHRC. Addressing the occasion as the chief guest, the minister held that the time has come to stop discriminating them but to give them a sense of dignity and a new world of oneness.

Informing that the United Nations (UN) convention had demanded that the disables be given different rights, the Indian government has instituted rights such as disabilities act, mental health act, added the minister and called upon all sections of the society to understand and follow the acts. The minister also informed that there were 81 visually challenged in government blind schools besides 78 deaf and mute students too in the state government schools who were doing well in their academic fields.

In the board exam of 2008, 94 blind students and 34 deaf and mute students cleared the exam with good marks which is a sign that these disables can really do well, conveyed the minister.

The minister further informed that there were 10 (ten) schools run by NGOs under the ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

Chairperson of NHRC, justice S Rajendra Babu, inaugurating the workshop alleged that disability was a consequence of psychological or physical condition of the individual and of a discriminatory social status that attaches to that condition.

Besides being highly ignored in employment matters and their developments, justice Rajendra Babu held that public places such as the entertainment, educational institutions, public transports, banks, markets, parks, etc.

were least accessible to these people.

Therefore, there is a need to have an access audit, justice Rajendra added. Informing further that the Persons with Disabilities Act was now nearly 13 (thirteen) years old besides the UN convention on Rights of a Person with Disabilities already being enforced in May last, the chairperson of the NHRC asserted that there was a need for all authorities to take reinvigorated steps to ensure proper implementation of the Act and institute monitoring.

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