Aizawl (mizonews.net): Kolkata-based VAANI Deaf Children’s Foundation organised a seminar on ‘Status of Deaf Children in Mizoram’ at I&PR Auditorium, Aizawl yesterday and Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla graced the occasion as  Chief Guest.

The Chief Minister in his speech said that it is good to change the way we call the deaf ‘handicapped’ and by other names that denotes their status as below the commons. The Central Government is also taking steps in this regard by instituting the Women and Child Welfare Ministry to work in this regard. The Chief Minister thanked VAANI Deaf Children’s Foundation for working in the same line. Human beings are created by God according to His wishes, so we are all equal before God”, Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla said.

The Chief Minister mentioned that in the 11th and 12th Plan, health and education were given importance. He said that there are around 1000 deaf children in Mizoram, although the exact number could not be figured out. One factor, the Chief Minister said, is our food habits; therefore he advised the pregnant mothers to be more careful.

The Chief Minister expressed his gratitude over the cooperation of VAANI Foundation and Spastic Society of Mizoram, and said, the state government is also always there with them. He but mentioned that there used to be difficulty regarding reservation in Government job as seats are reserved percentage-wise.

VAANI was established in 2005 August to assist the deaf in India as ‘trust’, and it is remarkably the first of its kind in the country, and it has been working together with the Spastic Society of Mizoram since 2009 October. Its main objective is to assist the deaf children for their participation in the society and educational institutions. It has been giving training to parents in this regard.

At the seminar today, VAANI Director Brinda Crishna showed, through Power Point Presentation, about the aims and objectives of VAANI. He also gave a report on their initiatives in the states like Jharkhan, West Bengal, Gujarat, Assam, Karnataka and Meghalaya besides Mizoram.

There are 3 million deaf children in India, and every year 25,000 deafs are born. Since parents come to know that their children are deaf only after they become 3 years old, things used to get late, VAANI Director Brinda Crishna said.

Keywords: Latest Mizoram News