[Marxistindia] Oppose Amendments to RPD Act - corrected statement

[news from the cpi(m)]

July 6, 2020
 
Press Statement
The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the
following statement:
Oppose Amendments to RPD Act
The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) condemns the
attempts being made to dilute the provisions of the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities Act, 2016. The amendments proposed by the government to
"decriminalise" offences and designate some as "minor" and clubbing of some
offences and diluting them would radically alter the very nature of the Act.
One of the progressive features of the RPD Act over the now repealed PwD
Act, 1995 has been the penal clauses built into this legislation for
non-compliance and violation. 
The ridiculous plea taken by the government that such provisions "act as
deterrents and this is perceived as one of the major reasons impacting
investments from both domestic and foreign investors", is unacceptable.
"Ease of doing business" cannot be at the cost of basic human rights, won
after long-drawn struggles. The purpose of these provisions in the RPD Act
was to ensure accountability and compliance of a law passed by parliament
for one of the most marginalised sections of our society, who face multiple
layers of discrimination.
The proposed amendments are, as the government itself admits, in tandem with
the Modi government's efforts to further open up the economy to unbridled
loot by foreign and domestic capital, utilising the pandemic situation. The
attempts to negate these gains are in conjecture with the attacks on
democratic rights, curbing dissent, amending labour laws etc.
The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) expresses its solidarity with and support to
disability rights organisations and activists in their fight to stop the
government from going ahead with this regressive set of amendments, which
militate against the basic principles of equality, justice and
non-discrimination.
 
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