Friends
Something to work on.
Harish Kotian

From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of 
Amba Salelkar
Sent: 16 July 2013 14:40
To: Suranjana Ghosh Aikara
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Bhargavi; Pavan Muntha; [email protected]; [email protected]; Arman Ali; 
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National Platform For The Rights of the Disabled (NPRD)
Subject: DRAFT NATIONAL SPORTS DEVELOPMENT BILL, 2013

Good morning everyone,

Here is the draft National Sports Development Bill, 
2013<http://yas.nic.in/writereaddata/mainlinkFile/File921.pdf>. There are 
mentions of paralympics and special olympics and sports for hearing/visually 
impaired persons, but there are no special provisions as much for their 
promotion and development. There is the constitution of a National Olympic 
Committee, which in turn will recognize existing national federations.

To my mind the Bill loses out on a lot with regard to disability-specific 
sports (which is the UNCRPD recognized term) in India. The Bill only recognizes 
the Paralympics and the Special Olympics, whereas there is also the 
Deaflympics, the Special Commonwealth Games, the Asian Para Games, the 
International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports World Games and other sports which 
are recognized by the Cerebral Palsy International Sports and Recreation 
Association, the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf, the 
International Blind Sports Federation, and other internationally recognized 
organizations.

India has several federations for disability-specific 
sports<http://paralympicindia.org.in/federations.php>, however, they seem to 
have gotten themselves involved in some controversies 
<http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-07-15/others/28304536_1_office-bearers-sports-ministry-escort>
 (note: this is a 2010 report) because they, like other mainstream federations, 
are being managed by persons without disabilities and without knowledge of 
sports, and are highly politicized. Also, India's participation in the 
Paralympics<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India_at_the_Paralympics> has been 
earnest but poor and the 2012 controversy where athletes were rendered homeless 
in favour of globetrotting ministers 
<http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Search&Source=Find&Key=MMIR/2012/09/02/21/Ar02100.xml&CollName=MMIR_DAILY_2009&DOCID=384625&Keyword=%28%3Cmany%3E%3Cstem%3Eparalympic%29&skin=MIRRORNEW&AppName=1&PageLabel=22%20&ViewMode=HTML>
 and left without es
 corts <http://www.thehindu.com/sport/other-sports/article3851360.ece> is also 
of concern.

One possible idea is to ask for a separate parallel body to handle 
disability-specific sports in India and India's representation at the 
international level. Usually I am more of a fan of the "inclusive" model, but 
somehow in this instance I feel we need some focused attention. We need, for 
example, a National Paragames with as much excitement as the paralympics or 
other international tournament.

Am working on a draft, but in the meanwhile I would really love your feedback 
and your recounting of experiences, if any. The deadline for this is the 31st 
of July to the Ministry, let us try collating responses so as to circulate our 
draft by Saturday?

In the meanwhile, I hope you all are doing well. I just completed a year of 
"officially" working with Inclusive Planet in Chennai, and I can't thank you 
all enough for the encouragement you have given me all this while, specially to 
keep Rahul's work going. I hope this can be another achievement on our part!

Best,

Amba.

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