Social activists try to rescue deaf activist

NEW DELHI: Ian Stillman, a hearing impaired British national, could do nothing to defend himself when an Indian court sentenced him earlier this year to 10 years in prison for keeping drugs.

The police as well as the court apparently refused to believe that Stillman (51) who had been working in India as an activist for the hearing impaired since 1972, was deaf.

The absence of a standard Indian sign language and lack of interpreters is creating such legal hurdles for the deaf, sometimes even landing them in jail, experts said.

“Deaf people find themselves incapable of proper defence if accused,” said D.S. Chauhan of the Delhi Association for the Deaf.

“Stillman was not given a sign language interpreter. Had there been one, at least he could understand what was being said against him,” said Javed Abidi, a member of the Disabled Rights Group.

The police insisted he was a clever criminal pretending to be deaf.

It all started on August 28 last year, when Stillman was going to Simla in Himachal Pradesh, said Abidi. “He shared a taxi with someone and at a check-post the taxi was stopped and drugs were found inside. He was arrested.”

“He has an implacable record of services to the country’s deaf. He is a person of integrity, high social standing and is totally devoted to the cause of deaf people,” Abidi said.

Stillman’s family has taken the matter to a higher court after his June conviction.

Abidi said: “It is not a matter whether he was a criminal or not. Even for the most wanted criminal, who is deaf and is not given a sign language interpreter, I would have had the same words. If this is not human rights violation, what is?”

Source: The Times of India, Bangalore
Dated :6th September, 2001