Surama Padhy: Democracy Must Include Persons with Disabilities

Odisha Legislative Assembly Speaker Surama Padhy, addressing the 69th Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Conference in Cape Town, underscored that democracy’s first duty is equality—and this must extend to persons with disabilities.

Padhy argued that while technology is reshaping legislatures worldwide, modernisation cannot override the principle of equal citizenship.

She urged parliaments to embed accessibility into digital transformation from the outset.

Invoking sage Ashtavakra, she highlighted India’s tradition of inclusion, stressing that disability does not diminish intellectual or civic contribution.

She pointed to India’s 2024 general elections, where over 90 lakh persons with disabilities were registered as voters, as evidence of large‑scale participation.

Citing the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, Padhy emphasised the need to translate legal guarantees into everyday parliamentary practice.

She also showcased Odisha’s initiatives—such as the Banishree scholarship and Bhim Bhoi Differently Abled Empowerment Campaign—which provide education, assistive devices, skill development, rehabilitation, and livelihood support.

Her intervention at the conference, themed “Democracy Under Pressure,” reinforced that accessibility is central to democratic legitimacy.

“Institutions may modernise, but the promise of equal citizenship must remain unchanged,” she concluded.