Another Dharna for Sign Language Interpretation of Republic Day Telecast

Information

NAD and DRG held another Dharna in the afternoon outside Shastri Bhawan, New Delhi from 3pm to 7pm on 23rd January, 2014. There were about 1450 deaf people who came from NCR, Haryana, Punjab & Uttar Pradesh alongwith supports of other disabled groups.

Since there was a difference of opinion between the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting and the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment on the issue of sign language interpretation on DD National, two things had happened:

1. the matter got referred to the Cabinet Secretariat for a final decision.
2. the Ministry of I & B had decided to issue an advisory to the private channels to take the feed from DD News so that sign language interpretation is also available on their screens when the Republic Day ceremony is telecast.

We decided to press one more time that sign language interpretation should be available on all DD channels, especially DD National. If our demand is not conceded to, we will march towards the Cabinet Secretariat/Prime Minister's Office. Members of DRG, NDN and NAD then met Social Justice Minister, Kumari Selja on 24th January, 2014 and reiterated our demand. She had agreed to write to the Hon'ble Prime Minister.