Thank you for your vote of confidence. I am not interested and will never
be. after my recent interactions with Parliamentarians in and out of
Parliament I am definitely not interested. I have however enjoyed your
discussions and have read all the mails on the subject. Whoever decides to
stand must start working now. I promise to stop my work for those last15
days and come and campaign. I wish I had done it when Javed was standing in
2004.
However there is one thing I would like to say there are people on this
group who can make a difference by campaigning, lobbying and airing their
views on subjects but who only do so in our forum.
I know that I was not trained in advocacy. I just found something that was
hurting others and started. Recently I have been asking for help on this
group but except for praise I do not get the active help that such causes
need. More about this in another email.
In my Rotaract year as District Governor my theme was "its you who matters".
I still feel that every one on this group makes a difference whether we are
in Parliament or not.
If someone really does want to stand then we will have to support and
support actively in whatever way we can.
Onward March to Parliament
Kanchan
----- Original Message -----
From: "Subramani L" <lsubram...@deccanherald.co.in>
To: <accessindia@accessindia.org.in>
Sent: Tuesday, July 06, 2010 5:20 PM
Subject: Re: [AI] Is it time for persons with disability to enter politics?
This sounds like a good idea. I feel those who have done activism fro a
long time must be fielded as candidates --folks like George, Kanchan
(though she has been refusing I feel she is a wonderful role model and a
candidate to represent us in the parliament). Unfortunately, folks like
Harish and Rajesh are in RBI otherwise I feel they too make a good
candidates. Probably, if you all are interested, we will draw up a list
and then ask the people if they are willing to contest. Like in the US,
we can open websites to solicit public donation for the candidate to
successfully contest the election. The other alternative is to seek
tickets from the parties.
Subramani
-----Original Message-----
From: accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in
[mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf Of akhilesh
Sent: Monday, July 05, 2010 5:00 PM
To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in
Subject: Re: [AI] Is it time for persons with disability to enter
politics?
Subramani sir,
We have been vested with the right to fight the elections and there
seems no doubt about it.
Lets come and fight the election from the next general elections. We
should make sure that the numbers of visually challenged candidates
must not be less than 543 means; each constituency will have at least
one visually challenged candidate.
As far as nomination like Anglo Indians is concern, it has to be
mandatory for the GVT. To make such laws which can give the
representation to PWD community in parliament.
On 7/4/10, harish <har...@accessindia.org.in> wrote:
Hello
I think, one should have a long term strategy. One should start from
the
grass root and this way your credibility would be established and you
would
also build up a team of committed persons around you.
I am glad we have Sudha Patel amidst us who is doing just that.
Harish Kotian.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Subramani L" <lsubram...@deccanherald.co.in>
To: <accessindia@accessindia.org.in>
Sent: Friday, July 02, 2010 5:20 PM
Subject: Re: [AI] Is it time for persons with disability to enter
politics?
Don't you think it is rather bettr for us to fight the elections and
come through the straight way?
Subramani
-----Original Message-----
From: accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in
[mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf Of akhilesh
Sent: Friday, July 02, 2010 1:14 PM
To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in
Subject: Re: [AI] Is it time for persons with disability to enter
politics?
I think it would be wrong to say that Jamuna prasad shastri has not
fought and not spoken about the rights of the disables.
Probably you don't know, but he has started the blind school at the
most backward region of the madhya Pradesh, and the same school is
still flourishing and imparting the education for so many blinds in
state of MP.
I've got the opportunity to listen his speech, and I have done most
of
my schooling from his school.
He passed away in 1997.
As far as election is concern, I think we should start fighting from
our constituency's right from the next elections.
Except this, we should also demand the seats in lok sabha as well. If
the Anglo Indian community is getting the representation in lok sabha
through nomination, why not our community as well?
Prepare the representation in this regard; I'm taking the
responsibility of signature campaign in Delhi.
Ask for the nomination, only and only then we'll be able to influence
the policies which are made for us and influence us.
Thanks,
Akhilesh.
On 7/1/10, Subramani L <lsubram...@deccanherald.co.in> wrote:
I agree no less. My contention is: if you have disability and have
a
problem accepting it (especially if you are a politician) you
distance
yourself from assisting the govt to be effective in implementing
disability policies. Of course, being a politician has its own
responsibilities which one can't afford to overlook, disabled or
not.
-----Original Message-----
From: accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in
[mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf Of George
Abraham
Sent: Thursday, July 01, 2010 8:06 AM
To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in
Subject: Re: [AI] Is it time for persons with disability to enter
politics?
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: geo...@eyeway.org
Website: www.eyeway.org
Skype: georgeabraham13
Twitter: georgebhai
----- Original Message -----
From: "Subramani L" <lsubram...@deccanherald.co.in>
To: <accessindia@accessindia.org.in>
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: accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in
[mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf Of Kanchan
Pamnani
Sent: Wednesday, June 30, 2010 9:36 PM
To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in
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" <lsubram...@deccanherald.co.in>
To: <accessindia@accessindia.org.in>
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
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