A clarification is required from both sides regarding the TN Assembly not being disabled friendly issue that was raised by Kalaignar earlier this week. 1.Has he or any other member given a letter to the Speaker earlier in this regard? He has been wheelchair bound since 2009 and so disabled friendly access would have been a requirement even earlier. If an earlier representation has been made then it should have been acted upon by the Speaker. 2.Until May 2011 the DMK was in power. So why was this issue not taken up and the necessary changes made inside the Assembly Hall to make it disabled friendly when the DMK was in power? 3.Irrespective of what has happened in the past and even assuming Kalaignar is playing politics on this issue, since the issue has been raised now it is the duty of the Assembly Speaker through his staff to ensure that the Assembly Hall is soon made disabled friendly. This should not be seen as an issue regarding one man but there may be others in future who may require similar access. 4.It would have been politically wise of the Government to have allotted Kalaignar a seat in the first row of the opposition benches irrespective of whether he is eligible to it or not.This would have pushed the responsibility/blame of not attending the Assembly back on to him without allowing him the non disabled friendly Assembly excuse. It would have also denied him the opportunity to use this to attempt to gain sympathy. 5.Finally, is the Assembly really disabled unfriendly? What specifically needs to be done to make the Assembly Hall disabled friendly? Is it just ramps for wheelchair access or is there more to be done? Will the Speaker clarify if a representation has been received in this regard earlier or now? In any case all public buildings in the country have to be made disabled friendly and the Assembly should not be an exception.
Posted on: Sat, 06 Dec 2014 11:12:40 +0000
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