The government of India has announced Indian Sign Language (ISL) will be taught as a subject in schools! Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that ISL will now be introduced in the education system in the country as a subject in schools in India which means that students can now opt to study this. He said it will promote ISL and will help over 3 lakh differently-abled people in the country, who are currently dependant on sign language for learning. This move has been received with overwhelming response across the country.
We all know that superstar Ranveer Singh has been constantly urging authorities to consider and declare Indian Sign Language (ISL) as the 23rd official language of India. The superstar has always raised his voice on social issues and he also, recently, signed a petition aimed at furthering awareness to this cause.
Ranveer’s independent record label IncInk, which he has formed with Navzar Eranee, also released sign language music videos – the only record label to initiate this progressive step. Given Ranveer’s efforts towards making Indian Sign Language an official language, the deaf community in India has wholeheartedly appreciated him and also put out a heartfelt thank you video for him.
Ranveer is ecstatic about the government’s decision towards recognising ISL! He says, “For the first time, Indian Sign Language (ISL) has been given the status of a language and I’m proud that my country has taken such a progressive step towards fostering inclusivity. This is going to tremendously benefit scores of people and mark a monumental shift regarding their rights. This step will create a ripple effect in providing equal access for them and empower the community to conquer the world.”
He adds, “The fact that students can learn ISL as a language will possibly help in removing taboos that society has towards the Deaf citizens of our country. I would say that it was high time that this happened. We at IncInk Records, have tried our best to raise as much awareness about the importance of ISL being declared a recognized language by lending support for the petition & ISL music videos for the Deaf and hard of hearing community to feel more inclusive.”
Ranveer credits the citizens of the country for constantly raising awareness on this important issue. He says, “We are delighted that the government has taken such a prominent and positive stance. I’m thankful to all the citizens of the country who participated in signing the petition to urge the government to declare ISL an recognized language. They have all participated in their own way in ushering this day. It’s a solid start towards addressing the issues concerning the Deaf community and we will keep on working towards raising as much awareness as possible in the days to come.”
His partner in the cause, Navzar, states, “We started IncInk to create art that inspires us, and with our song Vartalap we had the opportunity to feel beyond our senses and took our first step to include the Deaf community in our journey. We soon were educated about their struggles and used our platform to share their simple ask, to declare Indian Sign Language a recognized language in the country.”
He further states, “The Government’s undertaking to include ISL in Indian Education is a step toward fulfilling this ask and we extend our gratitude to everyone who contributed to make this first step possible. IncInk continues to pledge our support to make our art and all privileges that the hearing population receive accessible to the Deaf community.”