If Demands Aren’t Met, Maharashtra’s Deaf Community May Boycott Elections

Last month you might have heard of the lathi charge, by the police in Maharashtra on a group of deaf people staging a peaceful protest to demand their rights. The protest made headlines due to the brutality of the police in handling the situation, and what was more disturbing was that there was a major communication gap, because the police force did not have any sign-language interpreter on site.

Maharashtra has a population of 15 lakh hearing impaired people and The State Level Association of the Deaf (SLAD), a leading organization in Maharashtra, has held many meetings with the government to press for their demands. Yet, the state machinery has done little to respond to or meet the demands. There is talk that the hearing impaired community may boycott the upcoming elections in protest.

On behalf of the community, SLAD members have submitted their demands to the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis. The following are the demands of the community:

1. Quality education for children of the hearing impaired community.
2. Free higher education for courses such as B.A, B.Com, B.Sc, Engineering, pharmacy, and B.Ed.
3. Technological institutes for the hearing impaired.
4. Books of sign language in Hindi, English, and Marathi for classes 1 to 12.
5. Proper test should be conducted to identify hearing impaired, as many people get fake disability certificates and get jobs.
6. Issuance of fake disability certificates should be curbed.
7. Social inclusion for students who have a hearing impairment.
8. Employment opportunity in every district of Maharashtra.
9. Written test rendered optional for government jobs.
10. The right to drive vehicles for members of the community.
11. Committees should be set up for the welfare of the hearing impaired community.
12. People with 80%- 100% deafness should be given government jobs.
13. Deaf people should be given jobs at bus stations and Zila Adhikari offices.
14. CBI investigation into the working of Ali Yavar Jung National Institute, Bandra (Mumbai).
15. Interpreter presence be made mandatory for meetings of deaf people, the cost of which must be borne by the government.
16. Rules be framed for the recruitment of teachers for special schools for the hearing impaired.

In a conversation with Rupmani Chettri, hearing impaired influencer and India’s first UN volunteer with a disability, he said, “Big salute to Maharasthra’s hearing impaired community for their hard work. According to RPWD Act, 2016, penalties for offenders is outlined for offences committed against persons with disabilities. Just because they are unable to speak and communicate as other people do, does it give them the right to violate the human rights of the deaf people? How inhumane is that?” 

We cannot live in a selective democracy where the rights of all citizens are not considered equally important. The time has come to stop looking at the needs of people with disabilities as a social cause. They are merely demanding equal access to leading a full life, and a life of dignity.

To know more about this movement, you can follow hearing impaired influencer, Rupmani Chettri’s group page on Facebook.