Yog Raj Sharma
The North News
Shimla, August 6
Visually impaired protesters in Himachal Pradesh have warned they will begin an indefinite hunger strike — and may resort to self-immolation — if the state government fails to address their long-pending demands before the upcoming Monsoon Session of the Assembly.
The group, protesting in the state capital Shimla for the past 652 days, is demanding immediate recruitment under the backlog quota for persons with visual disabilities. They say government inaction over unfilled reserved posts has pushed them to the brink.
Speaking at a press conference, Pankaj Thakur of the Drishtiheen Jan Sangathan (Visually Impaired People’s Organization) said: “Our situation is now like a dying man clinging to the last straw.” He accused the Sukhu-led state government of ignoring repeated appeals and failing to initiate the recruitment process despite numerous meetings.
The protestors have set 19 August as the start date for their hunger strike, warning it could continue indefinitely. They also threatened self-immolation if no concrete step is taken.
In addition, the organization plans to escalate the issue nationally by approaching Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Delhi to raise their concerns at the central level.
Thakur said several government departments had backlog vacancies that remained unfilled despite legal mandates for disability reservation. The protestors are demanding that all such positions be filled in a single drive.
