National Platform for the Rights of the Disabled *36, Pt. Ravi Shankar Shukla Lane, New Delhi 110 001; *
*Email: [email protected] <[email protected]> tel. 9868768543* *March 22, 2015* *Press Statement* The Executive Committee of the National Platform for the Rights of the Disabled (NPRD) lodges its strongest protest against the pathetic conditions in which participants at the 15th National Para-Athletic Championship have been put in a camp in Ghaziabad. Over 600 athletes from different parts of the country have been lodged in some under construction buildings with even the basic facilities lacking. What they have for toilets are inaccessible mobile toilets that have been put up at the venue forcing many of the participants to defecate in the open. The plight of women participants in worse and they have not bathed since they have arrived. The shameless and insensitive manner in which the athletes have been treated is unpardonable. There have been allegations galore in the past about the functioning of the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI), especially about it being steeped in corruption and not being a truly representative body of athletes. The PCI has been organizing games in the same manner all these years giving two hoots to the concerns of the participants. All protests by athletes have failed to move the body and they act with impunity. It is unfortunate that the Sports ministry which had derecognized this body headed by the same individuals two times in the past, once again gave them recognition. This has further emboldened them. It is natural that there are apprehensions as far as the holding of the international sports event scheduled to be held in Delhi in May this year. Given its track record it is incumbent upon the government that the PCI be derecognized and divested of the responsibility to hold this international event. An enquiry also needs to be instituted to go into the entire gamut of the functioning of this body including its financial dealings. *(Jansi Rani) (Kanti Ganguly)* *President General Secretary* *(Muralidharan)* *Secretary* Register at the dedicated AccessIndia list for discussing accessibility of mobile phones / Tabs on: http://mail.accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/mobile.accessindia_accessindia.org.in Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ 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 Disclaimer: 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails sent through this mailing list..
