Stages street play on Ethical & Informed Voting at Mon
Mon, December 16 (DIPR): Mon District Disabled People’s Forum organised a street play on ethical and informed voting under the leadership of C. Chemkha and Deputy Commissioner DC Mon, Thavaseelan K, IAS. The play highlighted the issue of how inadvertently ‘differently-abled’ people are excluded from exercising their ‘first right’ in a democracy, namely, the right to vote.
What is alarming is that this exclusion is brought upon them due to the general apathy and non recognition of the needs of the differently abled people while we design and build our social structures, the buildings and the social spaces, which not only makes them feel unwelcome but also point out that their abilities are not on par with ‘normal’ people. The fact of the matter is that many of them excel in various disciplines and go on to achieve greater laurels than "normal" people.
The percentage of differently abled people in our country is 7% which, politically speaking makes for a sizeable portion & thus recognising them also makes political sense apart from human and moral dimensions.
Thavaseelan K, IAS, DC Mon who was the chief guest fervently asserted that it is time that the practice of calling them disabled is abandoned and thoroughly discouraged. Instead, the word 'differently abled' is to be used.
Disability doesn't lie with them but it is in the minds of those who sustain such perceptions about them. He added that the day we transform our social infrastructure, social spaces and our thoughts we will witness their true abilities and it would put to shame many of those who are in a habit of using the word. DC Mon has been persistent from day one to extend every possible support to differently abled citizens of Mon district.
Dr. Laltanlien Khobung, Programme Manager, World Vision said that this was his first experience where the District Administration has taken sturdy and sustained steps for the inclusion of the differently abled in the election process. Wangshok Konyak, President, Mon District Handicapped Society, thanked the DC for the efforts made to ensure that this special fraternity is not left out.
M. Nangpa gave a compelling speech that elaborated on the state, status and the need for inclusion of differently abled citizens in the electoral process.
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