New Delhi: After days of hectic protests and lobbying, disabled rights groups have got their way. They've got an assurance from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that their complaints about the Right to Education Bill will be looked into - it's too late to change the bill in its current form so there may be amendments.
Lobbying for equal rights to education, this group has now called off its indefinite protest after a meeting with the Prime Minister.
"We are very happy. I met the PM and he has promised me that the bill would include us. Now all my brothers and sisters would get free and compulsory education, which is our right," said Malini, an activist.
Malini is cheerful, as she has secured the guarantee of education for an estimated 20 million disabled children of the country from the Prime Minister.
"The PM has assured us that this will be an inclusive bill and he called Mr Sibal and said that the changes would be made. When I asked him, would it be legally binding that the ministry of HRD will take care of the education of the disabled? He said for the five years it's my government - yes," said another activist Mithu Alur, Chairperson, Spastic Society of India.
While the bill likely to be tabled on Tuesday can't be changed, the government has promised that it will include groups that have been left out like autistic children or children that have less than 40 per cent disability.
Happy with the Prime Minister's word the activists say they will watch out for how that translates into education for millions of children including the disabled in our country.
Malini did two masters but from England, her life and career not only rebuts critics who underestimate the differently-abled but it also inspired others.