Ranveer Singh ‘proud’ that Indian Sign Language (ISL) to be taught as a subject in schools

Actor Ranveer Singh talks about Indian Sign Language being introduced as a subject in schools in India.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently stated that Indian Sign language (ISL) will now be introduced in the education system in the country as a subject in schools in India. This means that students can now opt to study this, and the person ecstatic at this news is actor Ranveer Singh.

Actor Ranveer Singh has been urging authorities to consider and declare Indian Sign Language (ISL) as 23rd official language of India

He has been urging authorities to consider and declare Indian Sign Language (ISL) as the 23rd official language of India. He had signed a petition in 2020 aimed at furthering awareness to this cause.

Lauding government’s decision to recognise the sign language, the 36-year-old tells us, “I’m proud that my country has taken such a progressive step towards fostering inclusivity. This is going to tremendously benefit scores of people and mark a monumental shift regarding their rights. This step will create a ripple effect in providing equal access for them and empower the community to conquer the world.”

He adds that it will promote ISL and help over three lakh differently-abled people in the country, who are currently dependent on sign language for learning.

Singh’s independent record label, IncInk, which he has formed with Navzar Eranee, also released sign language music videos — the only record label to initiate this progressive step. Given his efforts towards making ISL an official language, the deaf community in India appreciated him and also put out a heartfelt thank you video for him in September last year.

The Padmaavat (2018) and Gully Boy (2019) actor credits the citizens of the country for constantly raising awareness around this important issue.

He says, “We’re delighted that the government has taken such a prominent and positive stance. I’m thankful to all the citizens of the country who participated in signing the petition to urge the government to declare ISL a recognised language. They’ve all participated in their own way in ushering this day. It’s a solid start towards addressing the issues concerning the deaf community and we’ll keep on working towards raising as much awareness as possible in the days to come.”

His partner, Navzar states they started the label to create art that inspires. “With our song Vartalap, we had the opportunity to feel beyond our senses and took our first step to include the deaf community in our journey. We soon were educated about their struggles and used our platform to share their simple ask, to declare Indian Sign Language a recognized language in the country,” he shares.