EC Urges Parties to Mind Their Language
1. Background:
The Election Commission (EC) has issued guidelines to political parties. The guidelines cover the use of language in public speeches, campaigns, and writings.
The guidelines emphasize disability and gender sensitivity. They discourage derogatory references to people with disabilities (PwDs).
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| Hemant Soren |
The EC acknowledges instances of derogatory or offensive language. People use it in political discourse about people with disabilities.
The EC highlights this. Section 7 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 protects PwDs. It shields them from abuse.
Political parties and their representatives should avoid using terms related to disability. They shouldn't use terms related to "human incapacity" and should avoid stereotypes.
Using such language could result in punishment under the Road Passenger Dispute Act.
The EC urges parties to ensure all campaign materials get an internal review. This includes speeches and social media posts. This is to correct any ableist, offensive, or discriminatory language.
Parties must declare on their websites that they will use respectful language. It must respect disability and gender.
They must also make their speeches, campaigns, and events accessible to all people.
The report recommends training party workers. It also recommends appointing a nodal authority to address complaints about ableist language.
It aims to include more people with disabilities in parties. This will break down attitudinal barriers.
The EC emphasizes this. Representing all communities in elections is the foundation of democracy.
Accessible and inclusive elections are a non-negotiable promise of the EC.
Disability rights groups had raised concerns. They were about politicians using disability references in their election campaigns.
In response, the EC issued these guidelines to promote respectful language and inclusivity.
In summary, the EC’s guidelines aim to:
Foster respectful discourse.
Protect the rights of people with disabilities.
Ensure that political talk is sensitive and it's inclusive.
FAQ's
What other measures is the EC taking for accessible elections?
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| Election Commission of India |
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has been proactive. They've implemented many initiatives to ensure all citizens can vote. They focus especially on elderly voters and Persons with Disabilities (PwDs). Here are some of the key measures:
1. Crossing the Barriers: Accessibility Initiatives 2021:
The ECI published a comprehensive document titled “Crossing the Barriers: Accessibility Initiatives 2021.” This publication outlines the journey of accessible elections. It highlights good practices from the Lok Sabha Elections 2019.
The document covers many aspects of accessibility. These include guiding principles, laws, and initiatives. States and Union Territories have taken them. They want to boost participation and inclusivity in elections.
The EC acknowledges that politicians use offensive language in politics. The language is about people with disabilities.
The EC highlights this. Section 7 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 protects disabled people. It protects them from abuse.
Political parties and their representatives shouldn't use disability-related terms. They should avoid terms that imply "human incapacity" and stereotypes.
Using such language could result in it's punishments. The punishments would be under the Road Passenger Dispute Act.
The EC urges parties to review all campaign materials. This includes speeches and social media posts. They should fix any ableist, offensive, or discriminatory language.
Parties must declare their websites. They must say they'll use language that's sensitive to disability and gender.
They must also make their public speeches, campaigns, and events easy for all to access.
The party should train workers. They should also appoint a nodal authority to handle complaints about ableist language.
It aims to break down attitudes. It encourages more people with disabilities at all party levels.
The EC emphasizes this. Representing all communities in elections forms the foundation of democracy.
Accessible and inclusive elections are a non-negotiable promise of the European Commission.
Disability rights groups had raised concerns. They were about using disability references. They were being used by political leaders in their election campaigns.
In response, the EC issued these guidelines to promote respectful language and inclusivity.
In summary, the EC’s guidelines aim to:
Foster respectful talk.
Protect the rights of people with disabilities.
Ensure that political talk stays it's sensitive and inclusive. 😊🗳️
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