Chennai Declaration 2018 Clear understanding of the needs of Persons with disabilities in the area of governance and democracy to MAKE THE RIGHT REAL.
- We reinstate with firmness that rights of persons with disabilities is integral to human rights and human dignity of persons with disabilities are inalienable indivisible and therefore the respect for human dignity of persons with disabilities is to be respected without compromise.
- We declare the pledge of our continuous fight by all possible means against factors impeding full participation of persons with disabilities which includes but not exhaustive such as caste, religion, socio-economic, psycho, cultural, political, environmental, geological, Ecological, ideological and other factors.
- Voices of persons with disabilities requires to be taken to main stream societies for which appropriate laws and policies are inevitable therefore every political party, organizations for social justice, and NGOs should bring a policy change within their own party to give reservations for persons with disabilities in fair percentage and ensure participation of persons with disabilities without discrimination.
- We appeals to Indian government and the country to amend article 15 and its constituent sub articles to include the word “Disability” so as to ensure fundamental rights through the lens of distinct and special needs of persons with disabilities.
- We calls upon all stake holders of Indian democracy to join hands in recognizing the duty of our Indian societies in ensuring full and effective participation of persons with disabilities in democratic political space, including institutions involved in policy and law making system under Indian constitution by bringing new or amending existing provisions of law including constitution. This initiative shall remove all legal impediments completely to make political rights of persons with disabilities a reality. As first step, We urge State & Central government to provide 5% reservations (including special internal reservation) in panchayat raj institutions and to make suitable amendments in The Tamilnadu Panchayat Raj Act 1994 for accordingly
- It is resolved with consensus that Indian government being a signatory to convention has to recognize every person with disability\disabilities as person with full legal capacity (as enshrined in UNCRPD) and to treat them equal before the law, to achieve this objective , we call upon all political parties in India to make efforts to bring change in law with the participation of persons with disabilities is pre-requisite in formulation.
- It is resolved to urge all political parties to only use terminology compatible to dignity of persons with disabilities in all initiatives and actions pertaining to political functioning of parties. This conference also reinstates the call of election commission of India in making electoral process accessible to all persons with disabilities.
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Prof T.M.N.Deepak
Asst. Professor, Loyola College,
President, December 3 Movement,
Email : deepaknathan315@gmail.com