Victory Of People! Govt Withdraws Proposal To Dilute Disability Act After Citizens' Uproar

The Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD) on Thursday confirmed it has decided to withdraw the proposal of decriminalising minor offences under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016.

This development comes after the department the decision drew flak from specially-abled persons, activists, and organizations.

The dilution and nullifying of minor offences in the RPwD Act, 2016 was pitched by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, that comes under the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, in view of 'improving business sentiment and unclogging court processes'.

In the statement issued on Thursday, the department stated that keeping in view the overall sentiment of the majority of stakeholders, the proposed amendment for compounding of offences does not seem to be in the interest of Persons With Disabilities (PwDs).

"It has been decided by the department that there is sufficient ground to close the consultation process and not to pursue the proposed amendments," the Department's statement read.

This has come as a major relief to the community of specially-abled persons, who have been consistently working for years towards attaining a certain level of protection against incidents that put their self-esteem under attack, especially who had been denied equal opportunities in employment and education.

According to the earlier notification, the Department proposed to initiate stakeholders consultation regarding incorporating a provision to allow compounding of offences under Sections 89, 92(a) and 93 of the RPwD Act, 2016, with the consent of aggrieved persons with disabilities. The department was looking over negotiations for the said impositions of fines and imprisonment years for the accused.

For the same, people were asked to send their suggestions/objections/feedback on the proposed amendment by July 10.

During the consultation process, the Department received feedback from various stakeholders, majority of whom opined that the existing provisions of the RPwD Act, 2016 are appropriate safeguards for PwDs, and are essential for the effective implementation of the Act.

Earlier this week, The Logical Indian spoke to the Disability Rights Activist Nipun Malhotra and Para-Badminton World Champion Manasi Joshi about the proposed notification. They told the media how the 2016 Act was a game-changer to the community when it came, as, for the first time, discrimination was criminalised.

But this notification, if amended, will take India back by decades and centuries, and unfortunately showed the government's apathy towards this section of the society.

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