Himachal: ‘Ignored in plain sight’, visually-impaired persons threaten fast unto death

Visually impaired persons have threatened to observe a fast unto death after August 19 if the government does not accept their demand to fill vacant posts reserved for them in several government departments under the Persons with Disability Act.

It has been over 650 days since visually impaired persons began their agitation over the demand.

“Despite such a long struggle, what is rightfully ours is being denied to us. So we are left with no option but to fast unto death,” said Pankaj Thakur, a member of Blind Person Association — which is spearheading the long protest — at a press conference here on Wednesday.

The association would send a delegation to Delhi to meet Rahul Gandhi and apprise him of “the government’s insensitive attitude towards the visually impaired”, he added.

Blind Person Association national president Anil Verma and state president Shobhu Ram said successive governments had not filled posts reserved for the visually impaired since 1995, and the backlog of these would have ran into over a thousand posts.

They also demanded an inquiry into individuals obtaining fraud medical certificates and taking jobs on the basis of these, denying opportunities to deserving candidates.

They have also sought an increase in the social security pension for the visually impaired to help them lead a dignified life.

“We are disappointed with the attitude of the government and the bureaucracy towards us. I hope they will understand how tough it is for us to fight for so long, and accept our demands,” the association’s state president said.