On the eve of International Day of Disabled Persons, the Jammu and Kashmir Handicapped Association protested in Srinagar, demanding the implementation of the Disability Act 2016. Disabled individuals from across the Kashmir Valley gathered at the press enclave, chanting slogans like “We want justice” and “Implement the Disability Act 2016.”
Association President Abdul Rashid Bhat criticized the government for announcing welfare measures while neglecting the actual needs of disabled people. He lamented that, despite the Disability Act being passed in 2016, it has yet to be implemented in Jammu and Kashmir after four years.
“We have no reason to celebrate this day when the Act remains unimplemented. We struggle daily to make ends meet,” Bhat said, urging the government to enforce the law and warn of a hunger strike in front of the Jammu Civil Secretariat on January 25, 2021, if their demands are unmet.