Ability Forum

[Vic]

The army too wants reservation. Making a strong case for the rehabilitation of war-wounded soldiers and widows, the army will soon ask the government to work out a formula for reservation of jobs for disabled soldiers in the corporate sector.

Army chief General JJ Singh said on Friday that industrial houses should consider helping such soldiers and widows pick the thread of their lives. “A few modern nations have such an employment model in place,” he said.  (Source: Hindustan Times)

Maybe I'm being a bit too optimistic but I will be interested to see what comes out of this. If this gets through then it wil obviously open up a window where it may be challenged that the PWD Act applies to the private sector too. I have hopes that the Indian Army may be able to push against disability discrimination in the private sector, an area where our illetrate & ignorant ministers have failed miserably. Although (knowing how badly they treat their disabled, completely flouting any applicable laws & always getting away with it too) I am truly amazed by this plan of the Army HQ but will be watching this space with great enthusiasm.

I expect if the Indian Army does go ahead with its request then there will be a strong media and public support with this, making it difficult for the governmet to decline the demand. (Bye the way - isn't this how the Americans with Disabilities Act came about?)  

Any thoughts or opinions - anyone ?

_________________
Vikas

AccessAbility

The army too wants reservation. Making a strong case for the rehabilitation of war-wounded soldiers and widows, the army will soon ask the government to work out a formula for reservation of jobs for disabled soldiers in the corporate sector.

Army chief General JJ Singh said on Friday that industrial houses should consider helping such soldiers and widows pick the thread of their lives. “A few modern nations have such an employment model in place,” he said.  (Source: Hindustan Times)

Maybe I'm being a bit too optimistic but I will be interested to see what comes out of this. If this gets through then it wil obviously open up a window where it may be challenged that the PWD Act applies to the private sector too. I have hopes that the Indian Army may be able to push against disability discrimination in the private sector, an area where our illetrate & ignorant ministers have failed miserably. Although (knowing how badly they treat their disabled, completely flouting any applicable laws & always getting away with it too) I am truly amazed by this plan of the Army HQ but will be watching this space with great enthusiasm.

I expect if the Indian Army does go ahead with its request then there will be a strong media and public support with this, making it difficult for the governmet to decline the demand. (Bye the way - isn't this how the Americans with Disabilities Act came about?)  

Any thoughts or opinions - anyone ?

_________________
Vikas

AccessAbility

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[Vic]

Another article on this issue http://www.ibnlive.com/news/army-admits-body-bag-syndrome/43085-3.html

Excerpt:

Quote:

As many as 13000 soldiers have been disabled in the last decade alone. The Army is now standing up for its men gently serving a reminder that the nation has a responsibility to those who put life and limb on line to defend the idea of India. Chief of Army Staff General J J Singh says, "We are recommending through the government to the corporate houses that they should try and get preference to people like this.” The rehab policy is tilted towards those killed in action. So, for a soldier flying India's flag on its troubled frontiers it's better dead than disabled.

The video:

Like I said - keep watching this space .... I am expecting some action here

_________________
Vikas

AccessAbility

Another article on this issue http://www.ibnlive.com/news/army-admits-body-bag-syndrome/43085-3.html

Excerpt:

Quote:

As many as 13000 soldiers have been disabled in the last decade alone. The Army is now standing up for its men gently serving a reminder that the nation has a responsibility to those who put life and limb on line to defend the idea of India. Chief of Army Staff General J J Singh says, "We are recommending through the government to the corporate houses that they should try and get preference to people like this.” The rehab policy is tilted towards those killed in action. So, for a soldier flying India's flag on its troubled frontiers it's better dead than disabled.

The video:

Like I said - keep watching this space .... I am expecting some action here

_________________
Vikas

AccessAbility

[THOMASJACOB]

Dear Vikas

I am least excited to hear this. This will continue to be another hot debate tomorrow

Even if the army makes a case for reservation for its disabled personnle it will be only for them and by them.

We got independence because our great leaders fought tooth and nail, and we are what we are not because we fought but because they fought for us.

Now, today so many NGOs are coming up, so many meetings, so many conferences. so many discussions have all been held, but, its more than 10 years and we havent reached anywhere nor could we even force the government to put into practice the Disability Act.

We have failed in every sphere of our lives. To say the truth, I was applied in a particular organization though unsolicited means.(Meaning, not through advertisement)  The response that I got from them was that there are plenty of vacancies for SC/ST in their organization and only after those seats are filled will they look into the disabled category posts.More than 5 years are over after that.That was a public sector undertaking. They have the largest pool of revenues but they are the greatest flouters of the Disability Act.

I am a regular reader of Employment News - just see even Public Sector Undertakings and Banks have seperate recrutiment drives to fill all backlog vacancies for SC/ST.

What is this SC/ST - its man made not god man. Man created the caste system and now they are benfiting fromt that. But see they see that their voices are heard and that their rights are met and given to them.

Now, my opinion is that we have to make our problems heard. We just cant be mute spectators.Now I dont want the credit for filling up the posts of people with disabilities to go to the Army. The credit should come to us alone

You know the government has already approved and implemented the Ex Serviceman posts in all government organizations and public sector undertakings, and all these posts are also being filled in time. they already have some kind of reservations and are also being benefited by it - disabled or non idsabled what ever it may be.

But what the government enacted for us is just lying in the attic. Let me ask you one question - IF THE GOVT HAS ENACTED THE DISABILITY ACT FOR US AND WE ARE NOT BENEFITING FROM THAT THEN DOES IT MAKE ANY SENSE - SO DID WE ARGUE, DID WE FIGHT, DID WE ASK - NO WE WERE JUST MUTE SPECTATORS POINTING FINGERS AND BLAMING THEM FOR THEIR INACTION.

We could have and still can, by bringing all the disabled in our respective states and territories and with the help of the media on the same day time etc all over India force the govt to submit to our pleas. THERE WONT BE ANY KIND OF GAINS WITHOUT PAINS.

I personally feel before the government says a YES to the army, the backlog of seats for people with disabilities should be filled up in no itme.

Dont think that once the army steps in our problems will be solved - they will solve their problems not ours - you see. They will come with a different banner - Disabled Ex Servicemen.

And you know, I have personally gone through all the ups n downs being a person with disability - the most ignored people with disabilities are the HEARING IMPAIRED. The percentage of educated people with hearing impairements are low, same in the case of their employment, etc. They face the biggest hurdle in ever field, simply because the environment, educational set ups and the society is handicapped.

Vikas its time - I am telling you the time is ripe for us - we need to do something - lets us decide to create a difference - together we can - with a prayer on our lips see that WE ARE ABLE TO SEE A BARRIER FREE ACCESSIBLE AND EMPLOYABLE DISABLED FRIENDLY iNDIA.

We have a long way to go, lets think about it and start doing something concrete today to make the government hear our cries.

I too will personally join you in this fight

Warm Regards
Thomas

Dear Vikas

I am least excited to hear this. This will continue to be another hot debate tomorrow

Even if the army makes a case for reservation for its disabled personnle it will be only for them and by them.

We got independence because our great leaders fought tooth and nail, and we are what we are not because we fought but because they fought for us.

Now, today so many NGOs are coming up, so many meetings, so many conferences. so many discussions have all been held, but, its more than 10 years and we havent reached anywhere nor could we even force the government to put into practice the Disability Act.

We have failed in every sphere of our lives. To say the truth, I was applied in a particular organization though unsolicited means.(Meaning, not through advertisement)  The response that I got from them was that there are plenty of vacancies for SC/ST in their organization and only after those seats are filled will they look into the disabled category posts.More than 5 years are over after that.That was a public sector undertaking. They have the largest pool of revenues but they are the greatest flouters of the Disability Act.

I am a regular reader of Employment News - just see even Public Sector Undertakings and Banks have seperate recrutiment drives to fill all backlog vacancies for SC/ST.

What is this SC/ST - its man made not god man. Man created the caste system and now they are benfiting fromt that. But see they see that their voices are heard and that their rights are met and given to them.

Now, my opinion is that we have to make our problems heard. We just cant be mute spectators.Now I dont want the credit for filling up the posts of people with disabilities to go to the Army. The credit should come to us alone

You know the government has already approved and implemented the Ex Serviceman posts in all government organizations and public sector undertakings, and all these posts are also being filled in time. they already have some kind of reservations and are also being benefited by it - disabled or non idsabled what ever it may be.

But what the government enacted for us is just lying in the attic. Let me ask you one question - IF THE GOVT HAS ENACTED THE DISABILITY ACT FOR US AND WE ARE NOT BENEFITING FROM THAT THEN DOES IT MAKE ANY SENSE - SO DID WE ARGUE, DID WE FIGHT, DID WE ASK - NO WE WERE JUST MUTE SPECTATORS POINTING FINGERS AND BLAMING THEM FOR THEIR INACTION.

We could have and still can, by bringing all the disabled in our respective states and territories and with the help of the media on the same day time etc all over India force the govt to submit to our pleas. THERE WONT BE ANY KIND OF GAINS WITHOUT PAINS.

I personally feel before the government says a YES to the army, the backlog of seats for people with disabilities should be filled up in no itme.

Dont think that once the army steps in our problems will be solved - they will solve their problems not ours - you see. They will come with a different banner - Disabled Ex Servicemen.

And you know, I have personally gone through all the ups n downs being a person with disability - the most ignored people with disabilities are the HEARING IMPAIRED. The percentage of educated people with hearing impairements are low, same in the case of their employment, etc. They face the biggest hurdle in ever field, simply because the environment, educational set ups and the society is handicapped.

Vikas its time - I am telling you the time is ripe for us - we need to do something - lets us decide to create a difference - together we can - with a prayer on our lips see that WE ARE ABLE TO SEE A BARRIER FREE ACCESSIBLE AND EMPLOYABLE DISABLED FRIENDLY iNDIA.

We have a long way to go, lets think about it and start doing something concrete today to make the government hear our cries.

I too will personally join you in this fight

Warm Regards
Thomas

[Vic]

Hello Thomas,

I believe you have mis-understood the context of Army's wishlist. They are not asking for a share of the current reservations but seeking creation of a new quota in the private sector. Currently the private sector is out of bounds of the PWD Act. In other words they are not going to be a threat or a competitor to people applying for jobs in the existing disability quota.

On the contrary, if they succeed, they will extend the scope of application of the PWD Act to the private sector (ofcourse, this will not happen immediately), something where the ministry of SJ & E has failed miserably. Let me explain this to you - employment, accessibility & non-discrimination are interdependent on each other. So employment for disabled soldiers in the private sector can not be promoted without simultaneously ensuring accessibility and non-discrimination in policies such as job promotion, etc. So in effect, to reserve jobs for veterans, the government will have to ensure a smooth overall non-discriminatory environment which will serve as a barrier-free foundation on which the PWD Act may, at a later stage, easily be introduced to the private sector, if the government so wished to or later got pushed to do so by PILs, etc.

But ofcourse, Im only making assumptions that the Army will be able to push things their way with the government.

_________________
Vikas

AccessAbility

Hello Thomas,

I believe you have mis-understood the context of Army's wishlist. They are not asking for a share of the current reservations but seeking creation of a new quota in the private sector. Currently the private sector is out of bounds of the PWD Act. In other words they are not going to be a threat or a competitor to people applying for jobs in the existing disability quota.

On the contrary, if they succeed, they will extend the scope of application of the PWD Act to the private sector (ofcourse, this will not happen immediately), something where the ministry of SJ & E has failed miserably. Let me explain this to you - employment, accessibility & non-discrimination are interdependent on each other. So employment for disabled soldiers in the private sector can not be promoted without simultaneously ensuring accessibility and non-discrimination in policies such as job promotion, etc. So in effect, to reserve jobs for veterans, the government will have to ensure a smooth overall non-discriminatory environment which will serve as a barrier-free foundation on which the PWD Act may, at a later stage, easily be introduced to the private sector, if the government so wished to or later got pushed to do so by PILs, etc.

But ofcourse, Im only making assumptions that the Army will be able to push things their way with the government.

_________________
Vikas

AccessAbility

[THOMASJACOB]

Dear Vikas,

You are right, I have mis understood the topic, I didnt pay attention to the term "Private".

Yes, thats a good idea, but I personally feel that no kind of reservations will be established in the private sector. Because if there should be reservations for people with disabilities, then the government will first concentrate on reservations for SC/ST, this I think may be basically because they form a large part of the vote banl.

From recent reports I have heard that most of the corporates are against any kind of reservations, so lets see.............if something postive comes out of this it would be good.

Regards
Thomas

Dear Vikas,

You are right, I have mis understood the topic, I didnt pay attention to the term "Private".

Yes, thats a good idea, but I personally feel that no kind of reservations will be established in the private sector. Because if there should be reservations for people with disabilities, then the government will first concentrate on reservations for SC/ST, this I think may be basically because they form a large part of the vote banl.

From recent reports I have heard that most of the corporates are against any kind of reservations, so lets see.............if something postive comes out of this it would be good.

Regards
Thomas