Caritas Goa organised a State level Advocacy meeting to advocate for the speedy formulation of the rules to the new Rights of Persons with Disability (RPWD) Act 2016. Fortunately there were senior officials present from different Government departments including the Chief Election Officer, Goa to deliberate on the Goa specific needs of the disabled.
Unfortunately, although the Act is in existence, the Rules are yet to be notified hence several gaps exist.
The chief guest, Shashwat Ray, editor of the Gomantak Times, stressed on the lack of accessibility and employment for the disabled and lamented that even two years later Goa has not yet launched the Accessible India Campaign.
Goa does not even have a Disability Commissioner for the past eight months.
Other speakers spoke of networks that are initiated — Uddan (for adult deafblind), Abhiprerna (for special educators) and Prayas (for parents) — to lobby for the disabled, particularly the deafblind.
The parent of a deafblind child shared the difficulties she encounters as she accesses the government facilities. Transportation is a nightmare for the parents of the disabled children, she insisted. Another parent also informed that even reserved parking for the disabled is not respected by the public.
They pointed out that the services are loaded with too much of regulations which de-motivates disabled applicants.
Incidentally, several state governments have already framed their Rules concerning the Act. It is a challenge for all those in the disability sector to advocate for the same in our state.

PRATIMA DETAINED
Six Congress workers including Mahila Congress leader President Pratima Coutinho were detained by Fatorda police today morning for protesting at the Sub Registrar office in Margao. Police said that they were detained as they were obstructing work at the sub- registrar office at the South Goa District Administration block. All were later released by the police. Congress was protesting against the undue delay in issuing documents and certificates by the Sub Registrar office.

JARA – GERIATRIC DISORDERS
A two days international seminar on ‘JARA- A Focus On Geriatric Disorders’ organized by Bharatiy Sanskrit Prabodhini’s Gomantak Ayurveda Mahavidyalaya Shiroda at Kala Academy was inaugurated by Governor of Goa, Dr Mridula Sinha on August 29.
Dr. Sinha said that growing old is inevitable and cannot be stopped but ageing can be made happy and graceful by finding solutions to geriatric disorders. She pointed out that India has the legacy of Ayurveda as most of the aged people from rural areas used to consume herbs and medicinal plants as their medicines. Recently many people are engaged in the task of undertaking research in Ayurveda, she observed, adding that this will help the people in future. The Governor hoped that the two days seminar would deliberate on various aspects of geriatric disorders.
The Union Minister of state for AYUSH ( Independent Charge ) Shri Shripad Naik while addressing the gathering appreciated the organizers for organizing seminar on an important topic related to senior citizens. He said presently Ayurveda has been considered as alternative medicine. He appealed to the stakeholders to work hard to make Ayurveda main stream medicine as it doesn’t have side effects.

ATTACK ON FREEDOM!

Denouncing the recent raids and arrests on human rights activists, Dakshinayan Abhiyan expressed satisfaction over the Supreme Court calling it ‘an attack on freedom’.
They further said, “We also put across our concern and anguish over the raid on Prof Anand Teltumbde in Goa, in his absentia, that has come as a shock to us as we know him as a scholar of impeccable integrity. All those arrested and raided are well known for their genuineness and compassionate struggle for justice. Though it is clearly a move to scuttle the voice of reason, the timing of this pan-Indian multi city crackdown also gives rise to the suspicion that the intentions of both the state and Centre is to divert the attention of the nation away from the growing demand to ban Sanatan Sanstha. This has come up at a time when the suspected killers of the leading rationalists have been booked by the SIT. The NDA-RSS combine now wants to curb the countrywide resentment against the Sanatans following the confiscation of crude bombs and arms in the raids on the members of the Hindutva outfit.”