S.H. Panchapakesan, the Kerala State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, has submitted a memorandum to the State government recently to recommend to the Central government to include Indian Sign Language as one of the official languages of the country under the 8th Schedule of the Indian Constitution.
The memorandum was submitted in connection with the observation of September 23 as International Day of Sign Languages, and based on a petition from Varughese Mathew, Principal of St. Xaviers’ College of Arts and Science in Kozhikode.
The memorandum points out that 2.23% of the Indian population are differently abled and that deaf and dumb form a great majority of them. Sign language is used by this section to communicate with each other and with common people and hence deserves to be recognised, it said.
In his petition, Mr. Mathew pointed out that most of the 22 official languages of India are restricted to geographical boundaries. Sign language, unlike them, is the same across the country and hence could even be a connecting language between different States.
“For common people, knowing sign language gives an insight into the working of a visual language and allows learners to communicate with deaf people they come into contact with,” he said, adding that it could be of great use to public servants such as policemen, health workers, educators, and social workers.
The Indian sign language uses gestures for representing complex words and sentences. It mainly contains 33 hand poses including 10 digits and 23 letters. Sibaji Panda, a deaf teacher is considered as the father of Indian sign language. There are 700 Indian schools teaching sign languages. Indian sign language has its unique grammar and gestures but there are some regional differences.
“The differently abled people find it very difficult to reach mainstream society. Language should not be an impediment in their functioning as a normal citizen. If sign language is recognised as an official language, it will be a recognition for the deaf and dumb people in the country. It will boost their confidence to work with dedication for the progress of society,” Mr. Mathew said.
