Guwahati: The National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP), along with Young Indians (Yi) Guwahati, called on political parties to commit to a 5% reservation in governance at every level by including it in their election manifestos.At a state-level consultation held in Guwahati on Saturday, NCPEDP highlighted the political marginalisation of persons with disabilities (PwDs) in Assam.
More than 130 participants, including persons with and without disabilities, Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs), and industry representatives from across the state, discussed political participation and prepared a draft ‘Charter of Demands’ for the Assam assembly elections. The draft also emphasised accessible healthcare and inclusive infrastructure, while urging parties to treat PwDs as a significant and engaged voter group.The consultation was part of NCPEDP’s nationwide “Mera Vote Mera Bharat” campaign, which focuses on improving political inclusion for PwDs. Based on national findings and multiple state consultations, the campaign points to ongoing structural and systematic barriers. NCPEDP said it has engaged with over 20,000 PwDs across nine state assembly elections and the 2024 general election over the past two years.“Despite constitutional guarantees and progressive legislation, including the Rights of Persons with Disabilities framework, persons with disabilities continue to face challenges such as inaccessible polling stations, lack of accessible electoral information, limited representation in political processes, and inadequate inclusion in policy design,” said Arman Ali, the executive director at NCPEDP.He said the Assam consultation sought to address these gaps by creating a platform where PwDs could directly articulate their concerns and expectations from political parties.Among the key demands raised were a 5% reservation for PwDs across governance structures, mandatory gender-and disability-inclusive panchayats, and the time-bound implementation of disability rights legislation in the state. These points will be finalised into a formal ‘Charter of Demands’ and submitted to major political parties, with an appeal that they are reflected in election manifestos.Ali said Assam has over 2 lakh registered voters with disabilities and said the response of political parties to these demands would be closely watched. He added that PwDs are asserting constitutional rights rather than seeking charity and that meaningful democracy requires equal participation of all citizens.
