Itanagar: divyangjans have equal rights to life like common citizens- NIEPID
NAHARLAGUN: People with special abilities or divyangjans have equal rights to life like common citizens of India, said National Institute for Empowerment of Persons with Intellectual Disability (NIEPID) NE coordinator Ganesh Sheregar.
In his key note address to two-day training at Oju Welfare Association (OWA) here on Tuesday, he said that Arunachal Pradesh Govt in response to official letters had informed NIEPID that there was no divyangjans in this state. But, the NIEPID had ventured into the state first in 2015-16 to find about 16 divyangjans and issued certificates for them to avail various central Govt schemes.
There are nine such schemes for empowering the divyangjans, but Arunachal is the only state in India where no schemes is operational, he said with regret, adding present Union Social Justice & Empowerment secretary Shakuntala D. Gamlin has assured to provide land at Aalo for setting up of a composite training centre (CTC) for divyangjans.
He announced that The NIEPID would provide computers, lab and furniture for two class rooms for training of 25 divyangjans if land is made available in this state to set up such centre, he said, adding there are huge amount of special funds available for the benefits of such people.
Appreciating the OWA for rendering humanitarian services, Ganesh said that the training centre could be set up in OWA as its services are unparallel across India and benefit over 500 divyangjans of the state.
Very senior officers were giving false information to the Centre about human rights issues, said Arunachal Pradesh State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (APSCPCR) Gumri Ringu as chief guest, adding that All Arunachal Pradesh Women Welfare Society (AAPWWS) had campaigned for decades to facilitate setting up of many constitutional bodies, like APSCPCR and Arunachal Pradesh State Commission for Women.
The AAPWWS, of which she is the president, has been spearheading consistently since early 1990s for greater causes of state girls and women, she said. OWA founder Binny Yanga had initiated selfless humanitarian mission to receive Durgabai Deshmukh Award-2000 and Padam Shri-2012. Present OWA chairperson Ratan Anya has been continuing the legacy, she added.
The APSCPCR though has 48 branches across the state but would conduct survey soon to assess if rights of the children are protected or no, she added.
Senior journalist Pradeep Kumar, speaking as guest of honour, recalled as to how Binny Yanga had begun with a Adult Education and Nursery Centre in 1979 to serve the weaker, suppressed and oppressed sections girls and women of the society like a ‘Lady with a Lamp’ and registered the OWA in 1988. Though she died in 2015 but her presence is very much felt in OWA, he added.
Highlighting various activities of chairperson Ratan Anya earlier, chairperson Anya said that she was committed to the welfare of three children who are orphans. One of them was sent to NIEPID, whose training @ Rs 7,000 PM improved child dramatically she said, adding that prompted her to conceive the idea of starting a CTC.
Under scoring the vital role of parents for their children instead of only depending on the Govt, Arunachal Pradesh Divyangjan Parents Association president T Ronya wondered why the CTC, whose foundation stone was laid in Banquet Hall by chief minister and union minister, is not visible. It is time to come out of lip service to turn into a reality.
The guests handed over 12 sets of teaching leaning materials of NIEPID on the occasions, also attended by representatives of Hope Foundation Hukter Basar, missionary, NIEPID staff Bikash Sahoo and Mrinmay Choudhary.