While acknowledging and appreciating your genuine effort to streamline disabled community to the mainstream of social activity, I have the honor to solicit your attention for prompt perusal and intervention thereof. At the outset by writing this, I’ve no intention to spoil or tarnish the image of the concerned department, yet as a “fortunate disabled’ I cannot remain a silent spectator on the gross injustice meted out to the disabled community by the departmental officials taking advantage of our disability.
That, my disability falls within the preview of section 2(t) of PWD Act, 1995 and for my protection having full faith on your commitment, “…identity card are being issued through District Welfare Officers to the persons with disabilities…” (“Rio high lights Govt’s. initiative for disabled”- 27th Sept’ 05, M.E), I had approached the concerned department of Tuensang to this end. Wherein, I gathered from the H.A that the forms for availing the identity card had already been finished since long back. This is absurd. Surely he is not telling the truth. After all how many identity cards were there in the first place and how many identity cards were issued? Again, will the often repeated “empowerment of disables” and “integrating disabled to mainstream” be achieve when their identity card – the very passport are withheld?
That, I am aware this is in gross contravention with the set rules and norms laid down by the Central and State Govt. through numerous Acts and legislations for the protection and facilitation of rights and facilities of disabled persons. In lay mans language, the PWD (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995 clearly specifies: The identity cards for persons with disabilities are valuable documents which give proof of their disabilities. All persons with various disabilities, which fall within the preview of the Act, are entitled to this pass book and identity card. In the past the card was available with the disabilities Commissioner. However, with the view to reach out to the grass root level, issues of this card have been entrusted to the respective DWO’s. Due to the denial of basic rights to disabled people, this so-called pass book is indented to avail the disabled of various rights and protections entitled to every human being. This will in the long run (as it is aim), help to streamline them into the mainstream economic and social life. It is an irony that, even the educated disabled has to face a nightmare in getting this simple card; one can easily imagine what kind of nightmares the other unfortunate disables would face to avail other facilities. Hence, may I therefore, seek clarification from your esteem authority as to the said norms and procedures for us to avail the identity card?
On be-half of disabled persons
K.Khiungtsukiu, Tuensang
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