But Subramani, A person with disabilitty who steps into politics and hopes to be elected will need to think beyond his or her disability. He needs to be relevant to all in the community. He or she will need to understand the issues that the community faces. He or she will need to champion the cause of the community, only then would votes come by.
Likewise, for us to be included or be a real part of the families, communities we live in, we need to also start thinking family/community and not just be thinking disability. If we start doing what we can do for our community, then the community will open its arms to embrace us. If we need to succeed in politics, we need to think community and not just disability. Having said all this, when we get elected or get into a position of influence, we mustn't forget the issues pertaining to disability. Regards, George George Abraham CEO Score Foundation 17/107, Basement, Vikram Vihar, Lajpatnagar 4, New Delhi 110024 India Ph: 91 11 26472581 Telefax: 91 11 26472582 Mob: 91 9810934040/91 9810001181 Email: [email protected] Website: www.eyeway.org Skype: georgeabraham13 Twitter: georgebhai ----- Original Message ----- From: "Subramani L" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, June 30, 2010 10:08 PM Subject: Re: [AI] Is it time for persons with disability to enter politics? So... There are no elected MPs to the Lok Sabvha who acknowledge their disability in public and speak for the community. The one whose disability we know about is more an MP got in through the backdoor to Rajya Sabha from the state legislature. David Cameron perhaps gave this guy the ticket to contest for his party because he has a son with down syndrome and is abreast of the issues affecting disability. When people are not even acknowledging their own disabilities, it is rather difficult to count them as politicians with disability; least said about their commitments towards the issues we face. So my article would surmise there are none with disability -or- at lest there are none who uses his or her position as a politician to assist the MSJE or other ministries to implement disabled friendly policies. This is pathetic and I would explore a few suggestions/solutions. I am sure the crop of youngsters who are in college or just out of it can proviee a fresh thought to this subject. Subramani -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Kanchan Pamnani Sent: Wednesday, June 30, 2010 9:36 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [AI] Is it time for persons with disability to enter politics? Jaipal Reddy uses crutches however he does not speak for the disabled. He to the best of my knowledge does not even acknowledge that he is disabled and therefore does not ask for his rights and thereby does not become a good or even a spokesman for us. I am told there are several other politicians who are disabled but I dont know their names. The secretariat of Parliament recently told us so. The gentleman that Geeta mentioned was Sadhan Gupta who got elected to the Rajya Sabha from West Bengal. According to Arun Jetley there was another blind MP of the Lok Sabha I didnt catch his name. Atul Bihari Vajpayee had to use the ambu lift which Javed Abidi had fought for against Vajpayee's government. Subramani these titbits are for your article but I am not answering your questions. Kanchan ----- Original Message ----- From: "Subramani L" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, June 30, 2010 8:23 PM Subject: [AI] Is it time for persons with disability to enter politics? > Folks: > > This is in reference to the story below. This raises the curious but > difficult question: should persons with disability enter politics in > order to influence policy (both the ones that affect them and those that > doesn't). I am doing an analytical article on this question and would > welcome responses from those in this list and from those with other > disabilities outside this list. Kindly pass this around and encourage > folks to respond. I have a few questions which I am putting below the > story and so pl read the mail fully. > > *** > > Britain's first MP with Cerebral Palsy encourages persons with > disability to enter politics > > June 28: The first elected representative to the British Parliament with > Cerebral Palsy, possibly the first in the world with that disability, > has urged more persons with disability to enter politics. > > Paul Maynard, elected to the House of Commons last month as a > Conservative Party candidate, has said that his presence in the House > should provide encouragement for other persons with disability to > contest elections and enter Parliament. > > "I just hope that simply my being here, in the House of Commons, people > who may be nervous about getting into politics are not put off by any > fear of what might happen during the (election) campaign," Maynard, MP > from Blackpool North and Cleveleys, told Britain's The Independent > newspaper in an interview published on Monday. > > He also said that he had faced ignorance about his condition from a > young age, but had been determined to rise above the taunts. "There will > always be people who will use it (the disability) against you and you > will have to learn to deal with that," Maynard, 34, told the newspaper. > > Maynard studied in a special school until he was five years old. He was > then transferred to mainstream school and went on to obtain a > first-class degree from Oxford. He mentioned in his interview that his > life was transformed by the early experience he had in the special > school. > > > "Because my problem was with the thighs, and their muscle development, > they would strap you into tight iron callipers for several hours a day. > You had nothing to do. So I was doing all my numbering and all my > reading far earlier than most children and very quickly learnt to > read and write, which was an unexpected bonus later on," he said. > > Maynard, who worked as a management consultant before getting a job at > the central office of the Conservative Party, had decided to enter > politics just weeks before the elections this year. > > He faced derogatory comments in his constituency after a television > interview, in which his slurred speech (due to his disability) was > mistaken for drunkenness. He explained about his disability and insisted > that it didn't affect his intellectual abilities. > > He eventually achieved a 7 per cent swing and won by a majority of 2150 > votes in his constituency, which was one of the seats the Conservatives > rested back from Labour. > > He had already delivered his maiden speech in the Parliament and has > made interventions at the Prime Minister's Question Time, considered an > important business t the British Parliament. > > Britain had David Blunket as the first person with disability as a > cabinet minister under Labour, when Tony Blair appointed the visually > challenged MP from Sheffield as Home Secretary. > *** *** *** > > (PL mention your full name, designation/office, age , name of the > organisation you represent and the city you hail from) > 1. Do you think having a politician with disability would make a > difference in terms of passing legislations and implementing them? > 2. This is more a personal question -Given a chance, would you enter > politics? Pl substantiate your answer as to why you would and why you > wouldn't make that choice? > 3. What do you think r the advantages and disadvantages of being a > politician with disability? Are these (advantages and disadvantages) the > reason that influence your choice to enter or not to enter politics? > 4. Are 'politicians with disability' the need of the hour? Do you have > personal choices amongst the present crop of activists who would make > good politicians (ignore it if you are not comfortable answering this > part of the question). > 5. What are the challenges do you think for activists to become > politicians? > 6. Do you think politicians with disability, such as Paul Maynard spread > awareness and positive impressions about persons with disability? > 7. Do you think it would be difficult in circumstances in India for a > person with disability to become a politician? If you say yes, why? > 8. What are the risks of being a politician? Are you worried about > compromises you may have to make by being a politician? Or do you think > being an educated person is actually an obstacle to be a good and honest > political leader? > Voice your thoughts in the blog to discuss the Rights of persons with > disability bill at: > http://www.accessindia.org.in/harish/blog.htm > > To unsubscribe send a message to [email protected] > with the subject unsubscribe. > > To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, > please visit the list home page at > http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.i n > Voice your thoughts in the blog to discuss the Rights of persons with disability bill at: http://www.accessindia.org.in/harish/blog.htm To unsubscribe send a message to [email protected] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.i n Voice your thoughts in the blog to discuss the Rights of persons with disability bill at: http://www.accessindia.org.in/harish/blog.htm To unsubscribe send a message to [email protected] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in Voice your thoughts in the blog to discuss the Rights of persons with disability bill at: http://www.accessindia.org.in/harish/blog.htm To unsubscribe send a message to [email protected] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
