Sign language

27.4.25 Today was a special day for me. I was called to speak as the Chief Guest and inaugurate the Oceanic Institute’s NSS camp. I arrived at the venue a little early. It is a 4-day camp, and volunteers have reached the venue. There was an unusual silence. Then I saw the boys and girls talking in sign language using their lips and hand movements. Yes, Most of them were special children, hearing and speech impaired. A few normal children were also among them, and they were quite comfortable with special children. The usual fun and fight, which are the gifts of youthful life, were also there. Over the years, I had developed the art of watching the youngsters without being watched. The students were in the BCom and BCA courses and had reached the People’s Trust premises. They are going to be here and will carry out some voluntary work. Before reaching the campus, I had planned to talk about Climate Change and students’ role in combating global warming. But after seeing them, I changed my mind. I wondered how I was going to communicate with them. As I started delivering my inaugural address, I saw the students looking in the direction of an interpreter who interpreted my talk. It was like a newsreader’s speech being interpreted on a TV Channel for the hearing-impaired. I changed my topic and shared with them my first experience with a hearing-impaired boy in my banking class for the Royal Bank of Scotland, and how I came to know about his love with a hearing-impaired girl in the next 3 days of the training session. I recalled how a baby does not know any language, but she reads her mom’s face and learns. I said that there are no special or normal children. We all learnt to laugh and cry in our mother’s lap as babies, looking at her face. Today, the world is split on language, colour, and creed. But you are all a wonderful creation of God. In the world, only two types of people exist. Those who love and serve Mother Earth and those who reap the fruits of Mother Earth. When I lauded their efforts, there was an applause or two. But I could not hear the sound of the claps, because they raised both their hands and waved them as an alternative to clapping. When I realized that they won’t clap, because their own clap sound will never be heard by them, I felt a heaviness in my heart. When I came down the stage to shake hands, they told me my speech was good. Yes, they talked to me by sign language, and were happy to hear me. I was ‘speechless’ and tried to thank them in sign language. End of the day, I realized one thing. I could not have communicated with them as an orator without an interpreter. On the contrary, the speaking capability, which I believed was an advantage, was a handicap, as it was not useful for communicating with the voiceless. Neither can they hear me, nor can they talk to me. So, in what way am I communicative? Till yesterday, I felt that I had no handicaps. Today, I lament that my precious possession of all five senses does not suffice as my communication skills lack the skill required to communicate with the voiceless, speechless. Interestingly, there was a visually impaired boy, and of course, I can’t imagine his world at all.

Hi Child, I wrote all the above at midnight as my sleep was interrupted. A few questions were brewing in my mind