Policemen in Indore Are Learning Indian Sign Language

All the officials in the Indore division of Madhya Pradesh police are undergoing training to learn Indian Sign Language to communicate with the Deaf. Watch our latest video to learn more.

All the officials in the Indore division of Madhya Pradesh police are undergoing training to learn sign language. They are learning sign language to help Deaf people or those with hearing disabilities. This is the first of its kind initiative in the country. The initiative is being taken up on the instructions of Indore Zone IG Harinarayanchari Mishra. Sign language experts, Gyanendra Purohit and Monica Purohit, are teaching the police personnel and helping them in learning the mode of communication that uses hand signals, gestures, facial expressions and body language. As part of their training, the police officials were shown many presentations highlighting the importance of providing justice to the Deaf and people with speech disability. In the presentation, the policemen were told that an expert is needed to understand the language of such people if they come to file a complaint to the police station. IG Mishra said that some policemen of every police station should learn sign language. He also directed all the Superintendent of Police (SP) in Madhya Pradesh to establish at least one help booth in every district to help the people with speech disability and hard of hearing (Deaf) who use sign language for communication. A senior police official informed that at present a help center for deaf and speech disability community members has been set up in Indore’s Tukoganj police station. 

Now, sign language training is being given to the policemen posted in tribal areas like Khandwa, Khargone, Dhar, Jhabua, Barwani, Burhanpur, and Alirajpur. Police constable Manish Ujjainiya, who is undergoing sign language training said, “This training will prove very helpful. Now when complainants with speech disabilities will come to the police station, we will be able to know their problem and take immediate action.” Another constable, Sabal Singh Deoraha, said, “Now, I will be able to ask for names, addresses, and problems with gestures (signs) and will also be able to solve it,”  

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