The deaf protesters were lathi-charged by police on Monday
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, today called off the agitation after the Maharashtra government accepted some of its key demands.
Maharashtra Minister of State for Social Justice Dilip Kamble today 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, Dilip 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."
SLAD secretary Pradip More announced that the agitation has been called off and the next course of action will be decided after a meeting with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on February 28.
"We are partially happy, but need to see how things unfold in the coming days. We are hopeful that our all the demands will be accepted by the government," he said.
SLAD president Manoj Patwari said they were told that Mr Fadnavis would hold a meeting with them on Thursday. "If all the demands are not met during that meeting, we will not back off...we will boycott voting in the coming elections," he said.
"We need to see whether the assurance given by the government is going to be implemented or not," Mr Patwari added.
Mr 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 the deaf, in jobs, have been accepted."
Mr Kamble also said that an inquiry committee has been formed to probe the lathi-charge incident.
"After receiving the inquiry report, a decision will be taken...There is a fear among the youth that cases will be registered against them, but I would like to assure that no such cases will be registered against them," he said.
The agitators had alleged that police baton-charged them despite their peaceful protest, while the police claimed they used only mild force as protesters blocked roads and disrupted traffic for immediate resolution of their demands.
Earlier today, the Maharashtra government expressed regret in the state Legislative Council over the police baton-charge on the hearing impaired students.
Replying to a demand by Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Council Dhananjay Munde to suspend the errant policemen, Revenue Minister Chandarakant Patil said an inquiry had been instituted into the incident.
The Shiv Sena, a constituent of the Devendra Fadnavis-led government, demanded a judicial probe.
Chandarakant 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)."
NCP leader Dhananjay Munde said if demands of the students were fulfilled at the district level itself, the protest need not have happened.
He alleged that the government was busy issuing advertisements, while the youth were demanding jobs.
Shiv Sena MLC Neelam Gorhe demanded a judicial probe into the incident, claiming that the police would suspend some of its personnel who would then approach the MAT (Maharashtra Administrative Tribunal) and resume office.
This way, she alleged, the real culprits would go unpunished and the innocent would be targeted.
She also demanded that the transfer of Balaji Manjule, State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, be cancelled.
NCP legislator Vidya Chavan attacked the government saying that while it used terms like "divyang" for people with disabilities, the police was attacking them.
"The chief minister, who also holds the Home portfolio, should come to the House and apologise," she said, adding that police should not be made scapegoats in the issue.