Disability Rights activist and advisor Nagaland state disability forum, Diethono Nakhro said that the disabled community was no longer willing to exist like third class citizens. She asserted that they were not looking for pity or charity but they just want equal rights and opportunities as equal citizens.
Diethono was speaking at a press conference held at Hotel Japfü, Kohima on Wednesday.
She said the Rights of Persons with Disability Act was passed in Parliament in December 2016 and it became law in April 2017 and the states and union territories were supposed to notify the State Rules and start implementation within 6 months.
With a great delay in the implementation in Nagaland, she said that, the disabled community had approached the previous as well as the current governments, and finally on September 27 this year, the RPWD Act 2016 was officially notified in the state.
Diethono said this was a huge milestone for the disabled community and she appreciated the government for the notification.
She pointed out that before this new Act, there was another Disability Act in existence – The Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995, this Act was in force in the country for over 20 years, but not even a single law was properly enforced in the state.
She reminded the state government that with the new Act now officially enforced in the state the disabled community wanted to make it very clear that they will not allow RPWD Act 2016 to end up like the old 1995 Act.
She expressed confidence that although the State Disability Rules were yet to be notified, the Social Welfare department was working on this and the process was in its final stages. Diethono also asserted that disability affairs is not the responsibility of the Social Welfare department alone but it cuts across all departments and all departments must do their part.
Recalling to the case of one Longlong Konyak from Mon district, she said blood disorders like Haemophilia, Thalassemia and Sickle Cell Disease are all specified disabilities under the RPWD Act, and the health department was basically unaware of these. She said as per the provision of Chapter V Section 25 of the Act, free healthcare must be provided especially in rural areas. However, Konyak did not receive the required service at the hospital in his home district or at Dimapur District Hospital which was a violation of his right and it was just a single case that had attracted some attention. On behalf of the disabled community of the state, she appealed to the various departments to update the RPWD Act and do justice to the community.
Diethono also highlighted the various Acts like Free Healthcare, Free Education from 6 to 18 years, 5% reservation in higher education, job reservation increased from 3% to 4%, quantum assistance in poverty alleviation schemes increased by 25% – like wage rate under MNREGA, and punishment by imprisonment for offences against people with disabilities
She also explained that the Act was not only for the government sector but also covered the private sector as well, like private businesses, establishments, schools, colleges, etc.
It may be mentioned that 21 disability conditions specified under the rights of the persons with disabilities Act 2016: Blindness, Low-vision, Leprosy Cured persons, Hearing Impairment (deaf and hard of hearing), Locomotor Disability, Dwarfism, Intellectual Disability, Mental Illness, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Cerebral Palsy, Muscular Dystrophy, Chronic Neurological conditions, Specific Learning Disabilities, Multiple Sclerosis, Speech and Language disability, Thalassemia, Haemophilia, Sickle Cell disease, Multiple Disabilities including deaf-blindness, Acid Attack victims and Parkinson’s disease.
The press conference was also attended by Nagaland state Disability forum president, Kezhaleto Zecho, and T. Methna Konyak, former president Konyak students’ Union.