Biggest minority slams all leading parties

• A group of individuals representing the restricted ability community will contest the August Parliamentary Elections
• Sri Lanka is the only country that does not recognise members of its restricted ability population as equal citizens.

Anil Jayawardena, Bryan Susantha, Manique Gunaratne, W. M. D. Rathnasekere, ‘Raising Our Voices for Us’ National Convenor Dr Prasanna Kuruppu, Disability Rights Activist and Indipendent Candidate for Colombo District Dr Ajith. C. S. Prerera – Pic by Shehan Gunasekara

By Shehana Dain

The restricted ability community, recognised as the biggest minority in the country by the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka, yesterday slammed all leading parties for not recognising their human rights in their political manifestos. 

In order to regain their equal rights the restricted ability community has decided to contest the upcoming election from Colombo and Gampaha. 

Speaking at a media briefing, the candidate from Independent Group 12, Dr. Ajith C.S Perera stressed: “Mahinda Rajapaksa was in his throne for eight years and he didn’t notice us then neither does he notice us now. We requested permission from his secretaries Lalith Weeratunga and Gamini Senarath for years to speak to Rajapaksa but we were never granted permission. The situation is the same with our Premier Ranil Wickremesinghe,” Dr. Perera said.

“Anura Kumara Dissanayake doesn’t have the capacity to understand what our community needs. He classified us as pensioners and people with different abilities but that’s not who we are.”

He further went on to say that all leading political parties talk about justice but justice had not been given to them. 

“Until our entry to contest, all politicians from several parties have remained inept about the marginalisation of the people when their abilities are taken away resembling the dog in the foundry syndrome,” Dr. Perera highlighted.

 Gampaha District Group Leader Prasanna Kuruupu emphasised: “For the past 20 years we have had laws but the implementation process and environment has been very weak. In 2006 a draft bill was introduced to parliament. For 10 years it has been getting postponed because of the insensitivity of politicians. We decided to compete because we want to raise our voice in Parliament. We see no other option.”