Hearing impaired youths end stir as govt accepts key demands

The State Level Association of the Deaf (SLAD), which had been spearheading a protest in Pune since Monday over issues related to hearing impaired youths, Tuesday called off the agitation after the Maharashtra government accepted some of its key demands.

Maharashtra Minister of State for Social Justice Dilip Kamble Tuesday met the agitators in Pune, and told them that the state government has decided to accept their key demands pertaining to education and jobs.

Several hearing-impaired youths, who were staging a demonstration on Monday outside the Social Welfare Commissionerate in Pune for their pending demands, including the right to quality education and provision of trained interpreters for deaf students, were injured after police lathi-charged them.

After the lathi-charge, the protesters continued with their protest outside the Social Welfare Commissionerate.

Talking to reporters after the meeting, Kamble said, "Chief Minister Devandra Fadnavis said in the (legislative) assembly today that a decision on the key demands will be taken immediately and on February 28, a meeting in the presence of CM will be held in which all the officials from Social Welfare Ministry and departments will participate."
Kamble said, "Majority of their demands, such as getting a driving licence, appointment of sign language interpreters in various departments, setting up special education institutes from Class I to Class XII in Nashik and Latur and preferences to specially-abled people, including deaf, in jobs, have been accepted."
Patil, who is the leader of the Upper House, said, "The demands of the students are being discussed. We are positive about fulfilling them. Arrangements are being made to bring the students here. Action would be taken against those responsible (for the lathi-charge)."