Shimla, April 6
The members of a visually impaired association in Shimla staged a march from the Secretariat to the Chief Minister’s official residence on Monday over their long-pending demands. However, police stopped the protesters before they could reach the residence. The association has been holding a protest for the last 902 days, which is being described as one of the longest agitations in the history of Himachal Pradesh.
The protesters are demanding that backlog vacancies reserved for visually impaired persons in various government departments be filled in one go. They say several rounds of talks have already been held with the government, but no concrete outcome has emerged so far.
Association secretary Rajesh Thakur said the government only calls them for talks whenever they block roads, but later fails to take any meaningful action. He alleged that the concerns of visually impaired people are not being taken seriously.
Rajesh Thakur warned that if the government continues to ignore their demands, the association may intensify its agitation. He said protesters are prepared to take extreme steps, including holding nude protests and even self-immolation, and held the government and administration responsible for any such situation.
The association said its protest will continue until its demands are met.
