New Delhi, Mar 11 (UNI) Lok Sabha MP Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday called for urgent actions to promote inclusion of disabled individuals into society, stressing the need to overhaul the outdated systems.
He emphasised that the legislative framework should not look like relics of a bygone era.
Pointing to gaps in policies, and calling for urgent steps to ensure proper utilisation of allocated budgets, Tharoor stressed that it is essential to reconceptualize disability inclusion not merely as a social imperative but as an economic and political necessity, astatement said.
Moreover, he also gave a clarion call to “change conventional paradigms and work collaboratively toward a future where the principles of equality, dignity, and inclusion are not mere aspirations but lived realities.”
Tharoor, while delivering the keynote address at ’Empowering Inclusion: A Dialogue on Disability, Politics and Economic Inclusion’ organised by National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP), said, “While our legal edifice recognizes disability as a critical dimension of human identity, the implementation of these rights has not kept pace with the nation’s aspirations. In our contemporary socio-political milieu, persons with disabilities are still underrepresented in governance, sidelined in policy deliberations, and overlooked in budgetary allocations.”
Meanwhile, Fouzia Khan, Rajya Sabha MP, while highlighting the urgent needs for streamline data on disability, said, “In 2025 census we should have a separate segment for disabled people. In the absence of accurate data the resource allocation and effective policy intervention becomes a big hurdle.”
Former Maharashtra MLA and founder of Prahar Janshakti Party Bachchu Kadu, highlighted the need to streamline budgetary allocations and ensure their judicious use to reach the benefits to the disabled people.
“Ensuring the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities requires more than just philanthropy – it demands concrete policy action, substantial budget allocation, and stringent implementation. While Maharashtra has taken big steps towards inclusion, the challenges remain vast. From inadequate funding to inaccessible education and technology, we must move beyond token measures and commit to systemic change. Only then can we build a truly inclusive and empowered society for all,” he said.
Lok Sabha MP Pratap Sarangi called for creating a more humane and equitable society and asking for empathy for the disabled to be able to realize their true potential and mainstream them into our social and economic fabric.
Members of the disability advocacy groups urged the Parliamentarians that there is merit in considering the need to move beyond token representation and ensure robust legal and policy frameworks for disability inclusion.
Arman Ali, Executive Director of NCPEDP, reflected the urgency of the issue, stating that disability has been invisible in India’s policy discourse and there was a need to break this cycle of exclusion and build a future where persons with disabilities are not just seen from the prism of welfare, but are active contributors and decision-makers.
