Discrimination : Deaf and dumb protest for rights

FAISALABAD: Hundreds of activists associated with the Deaf Welfare Association protested against discrimination against those with challenged hearing at Zila Council Chowk on Saturday. Carrying banners and placards, they blocked University Road for traffic for several hours. They also beat a passer-by during the protest. uhammad Amin, one of the protestors, said “Deaf and dumb people are an integral part of the society but the government is discriminating against them.”He said deaf and dumb people made up 1.6 per cent of the population. He said the government had not provided them the facilities they needed. He said the government should allocate a two percent quota for the deaf and dumb persons in all government departments. “Deaf and dumb people should also be given representation in the national and provincial assemblies so that they can contribute to the welfare of their community,” he said. A representative of the Faisalabad district coordination officer pacified the protestors by assuring them that their issue would be raised before senior officials. The demonstrators then called off their protest.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 20^th, 2014.