மதமாற்றத்துக்கு வெளிநாட்டு நிதி - டெல்லியில் அமலாக்கத்துறை சோதனை

 

கொரோனா தொற்று குறித்து 12 ஆயிரம் கிலோ மீட்டர் பயணம் செய்து விழிப்புணர்வு ஏற்படுத்திய காதுகேளாத மாற்றுத்திறனாளி

திருப்பத்தூர்
திருப்பத்தூர் மாவட்டம் ஆதியூரை சேர்ந்தவர் தினகரன் (வயது 21). காதுகேளாத மாற்றுத்திறனாளியான இவர் மோட்டார் சைக்கிள் பந்தய வீரர் ஆவார். கொரோனா தொற்று குறித்து பொதுமக்களுக்கு விழிப்புணர்வு ஏற்படுத்த தனது மோட்டார் சைக்கிளில் முககவசம் அணிய வேண்டும், கைகளை அடிக்கடி கழுவ வேண்டும், சமூக இடைவெளியை கடைபிடிக்க வேண்டும், தடுப்பூசி போட்டுக் கொள்ள வேண்டும் என கொரோனா தடுப்பு குறித்த விழிப்புணர்வு துண்டு பிரசாரங்களை அச்சடித்து ஓசூரில் இருந்த கடந்த ஏப்ரல் மாதம் 28-ந் தேதி விழிப்புணர்வு பிரசார பயணத்தை தொடங்கினார்.

தொடர்ந்து இந்திய எல்லையான லடாக் பகுதி வரை 12 ஆயிரம் கிலோ மீட்டர் தூரம் மோட்டார்சைக்கிளில் சென்று அனைத்து பகுதிகளிலும் விழிப்புணர்வு ஏற்படுத்தி மீண்டும் கடந்த 15-ந் தேதி திருப்பத்தூருக்கு வந்து சேர்ந்தார்.

அவரை நேற்று முன்தினம் கலெக்டர் சிவன்அருள் பாராட்டி பொன்னாடை அணிவித்தார். மேலும் திருப்பத்தூர் மாவட்ட காது கேளாதோர் சங்க நிர்வாகிகளும் வாழ்த்து தெரிவித்தனர்.

TikTok helping deaf Black Americans preserve their brand of sign language

Nakia Smith uses her large online following to promote her little-known dialect: Black American Sign Language

The burden of our failure to connect with the hearing-impaired should weigh heavily upon our conscience, writes Alka Jain

An enthusiastic author once told me that stories are strewn everywhere. Much depends on whether we choose to narrate them or not, as, in search of the extraordinary, we sift and leave out exemplary deeds that cross our paths every day. I began looking around in earnest and was pleasantly surprised to discover the brilliant tales dotting my horizon, ready to see the light of the day.

One such story looked straight into my eyes on a bright day. I had gone to meet Puneet at her school for the deaf, to buy crafts made by her students. There she was, sitting with a group closely huddled on the floor. She greeted me with her trademark enthusiasm. As we talked, we discussed why the word ‘dumb’ accompanies the expression ‘deaf’.

Puneet’s twinkling eyes spoke before she did. “The deaf are not dumb. Why should I call it a Deaf and Dumb School? These kids are as normal as other children. They only have a language barrier and cannot understand our spoken words because they cannot hear! And, as they can’t hear, they can’t speak. This is all the world needs, to label them ‘deaf and dumb! Imagine the efforts they have to put in each day to communicate their feelings and ideas to the hearing community.” I listened, rendered somewhat dumb and speechless.

Sign language

“The deaf have their own sign language in which they communicate perfectly. It is our fault that we do not know their language. We, the ‘normal’ people, choose to remain dumb throughout our lives and mute our senses by deciding not to pick up a few expressions from their beautiful language. Vanity indeed! We are frustrated with them while they patiently toil all their lives to be understood and accepted. We are dumb, while they, are only deaf,” Puneet declared.

Suddenly, I was looking at myself and my doctorate in mockery. No one had ever taught me that when I had spent hours polishing my literary skills, a bit of effort should have also been directed towards learning the sign language that works so wonderfully for my hearing-impaired brethren. Why should they be forced to learn my speech while I made no effort to understand theirs?

Puneet’s words kept haunting me, and then something happened to drive home their import. It so happened that I was at New Delhi Railway Station, and suddenly, a young man tapped my shoulder. I turned back angrily, aghast at his audacity, when he began gesturing with his hands and fingers. I then realised he was hearing-impaired. As I looked around helplessly, a young female police officer came up to us. She gestured to him to show his ticket, held his hand and guided him towards a platform, showed him her watch and then pointed towards a train.

The youth thanked her and set off. I was relieved and ashamed at once. Relieved, for the youth had been guided so well and ashamed at having been reminded of the uselessness of my communication skills once again.

Must learn basics

On my journey back, I remembered Puneet’s words, “Learning the basics of the Indian Sign Language should be made compulsory for school children. If it is important to acquire several foreign tongues, why are we never asked to equip ourselves with sign language instead? Are we not responsible for including in our fold those who are different?”

So Puneet it is, who will be the hero of my story today.

Puneet runs a school for the hearing impaired in Jhansi, a small nondescript city of India, thriving on the fame of its valiant queen, Rani Lakshmibai. She had a soft corner for her cousin, a child with special needs, with whom she shared a divine bond and this inspired her to do something for other special-needs children, too. She started a preschool that was an instant hit with the kids. It was here that I met her for the first time, having entrusted my kid in her care.

But after a few years, Puneet closed down her school and began volunteering at a special school, where she was allowed to work with deaf students. She then learnt that India has the largest number of hearing-impaired in the world. At that particular school, she experienced the challenges these students faced. They lacked formal education and had to take exams in a language they could not hear and hence, automatically, could not speak. However, they were expected to speak and copy text without understanding.

Puneet was so troubled by this that she decided to learn sign language and overcome this communication barrier. “There are so many schools and teachers for regular kids,” she smiles, “but hardly any for the deaf. So, I realised I had to learn the language and teach them myself.” Having studied sign language, she began teaching the students basic English, science, and maths.

Skills centre

Realising that academic schools were of little use to these students who were too old to be admitted, she started a ‘Multi Skills Centre for the Deaf (MSCD)’. Skills like painting, cooking, stitching, and handicrafts are taught here, with help from her parents, extended family and friends. Some of Puneet’s friends help her mission by giving her sale counters at exhibitions and events. The MSCD has also started making meagre profits. On one of my visits, Puneet showed me the sewing machine purchased from profits made at a handicrafts stall.

She has been carefully training her more academically inclined wards, coaching them for competitive exams. She tells me that there are only 388 schools for the deaf in India. Not all deaf students can afford the accommodation and teaching fees at these hostels.

Puneet requested people to fund students’ education at centres at Bhopal, Delhi, and Indore when they surpassed her sign language proficiency and required further education. She also requested placements. Some of her students cleared competitive exams, while a few have also acquired good jobs. But there are thousands of hearing-impaired students who do not have godmothers like her; as per the 2011 Census, the total population of the hearing impaired in India is about 50 lakh. Sadly, a vast majority of parents of hearing-impaired children have also not learnt sign language. The ridicule and prejudice of the world towards those who cannot hear needs no words. The burden of our failure to connect to lakhs of hearing-impaired people should lie heavily upon our conscience.

Puneet dreams of opening a primary school for the deaf in Jhansi. But she is worried because India only has 250 certified sign language interpreters, a smattering, if one considers the huge demand. Sadly, while people are kind enough to offer funds once in a while, no one has ever volunteered to learn sign language and let their hands do the talking.

It would be wishful thinking to hope that schools make the Indian Sign Language (ISL) a mandatory subject and thereby facilitate the natural inclusion of the hearing-impaired into the hearing community. Perhaps, we, the people, will take up this responsibility on our own.

As Peter Drucker says, ‘The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn’t said’. Those who cannot hear will perhaps never voice out our shortcomings. But clearly, it’s time we paid attention to what they have left unsaid.

ஓவியத்தில் திருக்குறளை விளக்கும் புதுவை பேராசிரியை...!! நாளொன்றுக்கு ஒரு ஓவியத்தை தீட்டி அசத்தல்!! திருக்குறளை காதுகேளாத மாணவர்களும் எளிதாக புரிந்து கொள்ளும் வகையில் அமைந்துள்ளன

புதுச்சேரி: அறிஞர்களை போல உரை எழுதியும், கலைஞரை போல கதை சொல்லியும் திருக்குறளுக்கு விளக்கம் கொடுத்திருக்கின்றன புதுச்சேரியை சேர்ந்த பேராசிரியர் சௌமியா. அதாவது ஓவியங்கள் வழியே குரலை வளர்க்கும் முயற்சியில் இறங்கியுள்ளார். அறம், பொருள், இன்பம் என வாழ்வியலை பகுத்து நீதி சொல்லும் உன்னத படைப்பு திருக்குறள். உலக பொதுமறையாம் திருக்குறளை, ஓவியத்தில் விளக்கும் முயற்சியில் இறங்கியுள்ளார் புதுச்சேரியில் வசித்து வரும் பேராசிரியை சௌமியா.
குழந்தையுடன் தனியாக வசித்து வரும் சௌமியா, தமிழின் மீதான காதலால் தனது பெயரை 'இயல்' என மாற்றிக்கொண்டார். ஆங்கில இலக்கியங்களை ஓவியமாக்குவதை பார்த்து, திருக்குறளை ஓவியமாக்கும் எண்ணம் இவருக்கு வந்துள்ளது. பகிர்ந்துண்ணும் பழக்கம் உடையவர்களை பசி என்னும் கொடிய நோய் அணுகுவதில்லை என சொல்லும், 'பாத்தூண் மரீஇ யவனைப் பசிஎன்னும் தீப்பிணி தீண்டல் அரிது'. என்ற குரலை தற்போது ஓவியமாக்கி வருகிறார். இதனையடுத்து வள்ளுவர் ஈரடியில் உலகை அளந்தார் என்றால், அந்த ஈரடியை 15க்கு 15 அடி சென்டி மீட்டர் அளவுள்ள சட்டத்திற்குள் ஓவியமாக வரைந்து விடுகிறார் பேராசிரியை சௌமியா.

இதனையடுத்து சௌமியாவின் இந்த முயற்சிக்கு அவரது தாயார் தன்னால் இயன்ற உதவிகளை செய்து தருவதாக தெரிவித்துள்ளார். மேலும் சௌமியாவின் இந்த புதிய முயற்சியின் மூலம் திருக்குறளை காதுகேளாத மாணவர்களும் எளிதாக புரிந்து கொள்ளும் வகையில் அமைந்துள்ளன. இவர் ஒரு ஓவியம் தீட்ட 3 முதல் 4 மணி நேரம் வரை ஆகிறது. இதனால் ஒரு நாளைக்கு ஒரு ஓவியம் தீட்டுகிறார். ஜனவரி 1ம் தேதி முதல் ஓவியம் வரைய தொடங்கிய இவர் 2023 ஆகஸ்ட் 23ம் தேதிக்கு 1330 குரலையும் ஓவியமாக வரைந்து விடுவதையே இலக்காக கொண்டுள்ளார்.

இந்நிலையில் குழந்தைகளுக்கு அறத்தை சொல்லித்தர திருக்குறள்தான் சிறந்த வழியென்று சொல்லும் இயல் பெற்றோர்கள் திருக்குறை கற்பிக்க வேண்டும் என வலியுறுத்தியுள்ளார்.

Pakistan: Mute And Deaf Girl Raped For Three Months, Filmed For Extortion

31.03.2021
A 16-year-old deaf and mute girl in Pakistan’s Punjab province was allegedly gang-raped for three months by five persons who also filmed a video to extort money from her father, according to a media report on Thursday.

The video of the differently-abled victim, who is the daughter of a security guard, went viral on social media platforms, the police said.

As reported by The Express Tribune, the five suspects sexually assaulted the girl over the past three months and filmed the crime to blackmail her father into giving them money.

District Police Officer (DPO) Syed Karar Hussain said that two suspects have been arrested.

According to Lodhran Station House Office city Raees Ali, the medical report of the victim confirmed rape

A case was registered against the five persons on the complaint of the victim’s father.

The victim, who communicates through sign language, told her parents that there were five unidentified men involved in the sexual assault, some of whom raped her repeatedly over the past three months.

The victim’s father claimed that he remained silent out of fear. However, after his daughter was filmed and blackmailed, he approached the police.

Cultural programme organised

03.04.2021
Association of Deaf and Dumb, (J&K) organised the 3rd Cultural Programme of Deaf and Dumb at Tagore Hall, Srinagar.

In a statement issued by the association, National Association of the Deaf, India and Global Deaf Cultural Film Festival, Mumbai have also affiliated with Association of Deaf and Dumb. The cultural programme was organised by Mohammad Saleem, President and Ashfaq Ahmed, General Secretary of the Association.

“About 110 Deaf people from all over Jammu & Kashmir participated in the events. Many deaf people performed the comedy, dance, drama, mime and rock dance. The Chief Guests were Athar Amir Khan, CEO, Srinagar Smart City Limited and Anuj Jain, Executive Director, National Association of the Deaf. Guests of Honour were Crown Dewaani, and Adnan, District Legislative Secretary,” the statement reads.

INDIA: Students who are deaf excel at Don Bosco Technical Institute

5 students who are deaf are learning and making new friends at Don Bosco Technical Institute in New Delhi

There are five students who are deaf attending and excelling at the Don Bosco Technical Institute in New Delhi, India. Ricky Singh is a first-year student of graphic design. He has been deaf since birth. After attending the St. Francis School for the Hearing Impaired in Lucknow, Singh learned about the programs at the Don Bosco Technical Institute and the opportunities offered to youth in need.

The institute offers educational programs for youth who have come from challenging backgrounds, including those living in poverty, those who have struggled with school in the past or those who might have a disability, such as Singh. In addition to regular coursework, the institute has co-curricular activities and sessions for personal growth.

Singh and the other four students who are deaf are able to communicate with each other in sign language and are proud of their academic achievements. Their teachers and classmates are also learning to sign, increasing the overall comfort and well-being of the students who are deaf. Despite challenges they may encounter, the students who are deaf are inspiration for other students by leading by example to show that anyone who dares to dream can work hard and transform those dreams into reality.

Singh said, “Though I am hearing and speech impaired, I am happy that God has gifted me with lots of other qualities and talents. It helps me to do things differently and grow together with other trainees of the institute. I feel happy, and I am proud to do this course at Don Bosco Technical Institute.”

Access to professional training and workforce development services is highly valued by youth in India. The country, which is home to 1.34 billion people (18 percent of the world’s population), will have overtaken China as the world’s most populous country by 2024, according to the World Economic Forum. While India has the world’s largest youth population, it has yet to capitalize on this, leaving some 30 percent of this population without employment, education or training.

India has the world’s fourth largest economy but more than 22 percent of the country lives in poverty. About 31 percent of the world’s multidimensionally poor children live in India, according to a report by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative.

India’s youth face a lack of educational opportunities due to issues of caste, class and gender. Almost 44 percent of the workforce is illiterate and less than 10 percent of the working-age population has completed a secondary education. In addition, many secondary school graduates do not have the knowledge and skills to compete in today’s changing job market.

Sports Ministry provides Rs 2.5 lakh financial assistance to deaf tennis player Jafreen Shaik

NEW DELHI: The Sports Ministry has provided financial assistance of Rs 2.5 lakh to deaf tennis player Jafreen Shaik from the Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya National Welfare Fund for Sportspersons (PDUNWFS) to continue her training despite hurdles in the quest to win a gold at the Summer Deaflympics scheduled in Brazil later this year or next year.

Jafreen, 23, was the recipient of a bronze medal at the 2017 Summer Deaflympics in the mixed doubles event, where she partnered Prithvi Shekhar. That was India's very first medal at the Deaflympics in tennis. She had also represented India at the 2013 Deaflympics.

Currently, Jafreen is residing in her maternal uncle's house on payment of nominal rent and is unable to make ends meet to continue her training. Her father Zakeer Ahmed had to sell his only residential house in Bangalore and ornaments to bear her training expenses.

Jafreen was training in China to participate in the Summer Deaflympics 2017. Prior to that, she had undergone training at the Sania Mirza Tennis Academy in Hyderabad for free from 2013 to 2017.

She now intends to get a sponsorship to undergo training at the PBI Academy in Bangalore with a one year preparation for the upcoming Deaflympics.

As per the Deendayal Upadhyaya Fund, financial assistance of up to Rs 2.5 lakh is given to sportspersons for training, procurement of equipments and participation in national and international sports events. Financial assistance is also given to the parents of sportspersons who are living in dire conditions. Sportspersons belonging to those sports disciplines whose federations are either decoregnised or whose recognition has been suspended by the Government are also eligible for financial assistance under the fund.