A lot has changed, a lot more needs to change. This year, the pace better catch some velocity.
Well, one is here referring to change or the hope of for it, in India's social development index. A lot has been done since we began six decades ago as an independent nation, but a lot is yet to be achieved in order to make our society truly equal and compassionate towards each other's needs.
Here, we bring to you four well-known activists who to talk about one particular change they would like to see happening in their respective fields. And mind you, each one is keeping their fingers crossed, or lest it becomes a year of disappointment!
Disability
JAVED ABIDI
Honorary director
National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP)
In my two decades in the disability sector, I have never seen more exciting times! Sure, there have been those years when major developments have taken place. But 2011 will witness two significant developments that will shape the future of millions of people with disabilities in India for years and decades to come.
After eight months of advocacy led by NCPEDP and the Disabled Rights Group, we were able to convince the Government to go in for a brand new, comprehensive disability law reflecting the letter and spirit of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. This dream of the sector, when realised, will usher in a whole new paradigm of rights for people with disabilities.
2011 will also witness a serious and genuine attempt towards enumeration of people with disabilities in the Census. This time around, the sector saw tremendous co-operation from the Census Commission which led to a much improved question, a whole process of sensitisation of enumerators and creation of awareness among people with disabilities. I am hopeful, we will get the numbers right this time. Authentic numbers will mean significantly better resource allocation for disability issues
Child Rights
BHARTI ALI
Founder and co-director
Haq: Centre for Child's Rights
Amidst the many issues that vie for the attention of the policymaker and the politician, children's rights remain out of focus at all levels of governance. Not only are children's issues, specifically their health, nutrition and security, falling off the radar, much of what is churned out as laws, policies and schemes remain on paper.
People want to send their children to school, but the schools have nothing better to offer. Girls are killed before they are born or married off early, more due to lack of protection and security than for any other social reasons. And indeed, even when we make laws to protect them, we create more confusion and more systems for a child to deal with.
It is starkly visible that people who cannot be accommodated anywhere else in the system are given the charge of women and children's issues. The (in) significance of the Ministry of Women and Child Development lies in the fact that it does not exist on the National Portal of India. Bodies like the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights are marred by selection of unqualified persons who carry political influence. And this must change before children feel cheated and seek revenge.
We hope finally it is time for the nation to be shocked out of its complacency and start thinking and dreaming of a future for children that goes beyond GDP numbers and economic growth.
Women's rights
RANJANA KUMARI
Director, Centre for Social Research
The ‘one' thing that I would definitely like to see it happening in 2011 is the passing of the women's reservation bill passed in the Lok Sabha. It has already been passed by the Rajya Sabha and I don't see any reason why it should not get passed in the LS. The Government is in a complete majority in the Lower House, so it should not hesitate to bring the bill for discussion. For how long will our Government keep away half the population of the country from participating in its political process? Also, is it not better to reserve seats for women than using divisive methods like allowing reservation on the basis of caste and religion?
There is corruption everywhere in the country today and I look at it as a symptom of our decaying system of governance. Democracy in this country is ageing, we have been independent for 60 years now; it is time to inject new energy into the next phase of nation building. In this context, Bihar is a lesson. There, elected women chose development before filling their coffers. Looking at the pitfalls, I think it is time for all of us to reflect on a system which is more participatory.
Senior Citizens' rights
M.M. SABHARWAL
President Emeritus
Helpage India
Lifespan has increased considerably in the last 50 years in this country. Expectations of life at birth have gone up from about 32 years during Independence to about 64-65 years now. As a result, people in this country live much longer now. Long life means that they have to deal with a host of age-related problems and most of them are not easy to deal with, such as Alzheimer's disease, strokes, Parkinson's disease, etc.
With no proper mechanism in place, they are mostly looked after by their families and if for some reason they don't, then the old people have nowhere to go. About 50 per cent of those above 80 years are women and most of them are widows with hardly any financial independence.
The ‘one' thing that I would like to see happening in 2011 is the Government providing direct relief to such people.
They or their families can be given a sum directly or to their families to take care of their medical expenses. Family expenses have gone up manifold today and it is not easy for every family to take good care of their old people.
If given an allowance, their families will not ignore their medical needs.
