Disabled in India need more attention, says Chidambaram

NEW DELHI - Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram said on Thursday that India’s capacity to respond to the concerns of disabled does not keep the pace with their issues.

In a speech at the 12th National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP)-Shell Helen Keller awards here, Chidambaram said: “Our capacity to respond to the concerns does not keep pace with the growth of the concerns. That’s bound to happen in any society.”

“In terms of allocation of funds, in terms of establishing special institutions, in terms of making laws, in terms of implementing the laws, we lag behind the pace at which concerns are growing,” he added.

The annual awards are for honouring people and organizations, which have been working towards promoting employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

Chidambaram further said the disabled population is now more aware about their rights and is not a burden on the society.

“The explosion of communication makes the disabled aware that they are not a burden on the society. They cannot be regarded as the burden on the society. They have a right to lead normal lives. They have a right to demand that they will be recongnised as full-fledged rights holding citizens of this country. They are good to participate in every aspect of life,” said Chidambaram.

On World Disability Day tomorrow, thousands of disabled people are expected to march on the streets of New Delhi to create awareness about their issues and garner support for their rights, including their demand of setting up a separate ministry.

According to various estimates, India is home to approximately 60 million specially-abled people. (ANI)