National Association of the Deaf (NAD) Demands an Autonomous Indian Sign Language Research & Training Centre (ISLRTC)

New Delhi, Mar 25, 2015: The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) today demanded an autonomous Indian Sign Language Research & Training Centre (ISLRTC) as envisaged in the 11^th Five Year Plan, and strongly opposed the Government’s suggestion to partner it with the National Institute for the Hearing Handicapped (NIHH). NAD also released a Charter of Demands to attract policy makers’ attention towards their immediate issues and concerns.

“The International Deaf community is appalled at this regressive decision of the government and strongly opposes the injustice and oppression that it will bring to the deaf people in the country. We demand an autonomous, stand-alone organization managed by the deaf people, for the deaf people,” said A.S. Narayanan, Secretary, NAD at a press conference here today.

The Indian Sign Language Research & Training Centre was put in the 11^th Five Year Plan after persistent advocacy by NAD. From the very beginning, NAD has been demanding that this Institute be developed as a Centre of Excellence.

Shri Pranab Mukherjee, former Hon’ble Finance Minister announced the establishment of such a Centre in his Budget Speech for 2010-11. However, instead of establishing ISLRTC as an independent centre, it was given to IGNOU, New Delhi (Ministry order letter No.4-12/2009 NI dated 21^st July, 2011). Shri Mukul Wasnik, former Hon’ble Minister of Social Justice & Empowerment (MSJE) and former Shri Kapil Sibal, Hon’ble Minister of HRD of that time, inaugurated the Indian Sign Language Research and Training Centre (ISLRTC) in 2011.

After a lot of confusion about the role/interference of IGNOU in its functioning and after less than two years of half -hearted functioning, ISLRTC was disengaged from IGNOU in 2013 as per order of MSJE. After a long wait, MSJE’s website announced new institute establishment of an autonomous Indian Sign Language Research & Training Centre (ISLRTC) and allocated an amount of Rs. 20 Crores at New Delhi, for development of a common language of communication for deaf persons in the country (EFC held).

It was then envisaged that the Ministry would set up ISLRTC that will be devoted to the development and promotion of sign language and training of teachers and interpreters.

Recently, the Government suggested the Centre to partner with National Institute for the Hearing Handicapped (NIHH). This move will clearly hinder the independent functioning of the proposed Centre.

“The attempt of locating ISLRTC within a large organization where it is only a small part of the total operations, has badly failed earlier. But, after months of hard work in drafting a new proposal keeping in mind – “of the deaf, for the deaf and by the deaf” mantra, sadly the Ministry is now, once again, repeating history by proposing to partner ISLRTC with NIHH,” said Javed Abidi, Convenor, Disabled Rights Group and Chairperson, Disabled People’s International.

In order to come up with strategies to get autonomy for ISLRTC, leaders from over 50 Deaf organizations under the leadership of the NAD and the All India Federation of the Deaf have gathered in New Delhi to demand an end to this injustice meted out to a linguistic minority. CCI Newswire