India’s first deaf lawyer
In a historic moment, Sarah Sunny became the very first deaf lawyer in India to argue a case in the Indian Supreme Court. She was assisted by sign language interpreter Saurav Roychowdhury, who became the first such interpreter to appear in the Supreme Court, and whose live interpretation of court proceedings through sign language drew global attention.
In an exclusive interview with Suchithra Pillai for India Currents, Saurav Roychowdhury shared his experience as a sign language interpreter at the court. He also addressed the hopes and fears of India’s deaf community, and why India accomplished this feat only in its 76th year of independence.
The conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.
“It was indeed a memorable experience to appear along with Sarah and to be a part of the historical moment. The fact that the Chief Justice of India himself appreciated us and pointed out the need to have interpreters for all the constitution bench hearings makes it even more special. I hope this motivates many to come forward, but what’s more vital is for society to understand and provide the right support system for our deaf community in India. We have miles to go to make India reach that stature,” said Roychowdhury.
Hearing-impaired children lack resources
According to the World Health Organization, approximately 63 million people in India suffer from significant auditory impairment. Few have access to resources that can help them flourish. Most deaf children are language-deprived at a very young age which impacts their future. Only 5% of hearing-impaired children get basic schooling and 1% of the total deaf population has access to quality education.
“We don’t have sign language teachers in schools and thus we are denying the basic right of education to these deaf kids. How will they learn if we don’t support them?” asked Roychowdhury. “The awareness is very low and this leads to more dropouts.”
He explained that often, schools and colleges lack resources for sign language teaching, and some institutions deny requests from deaf children who want interpreters in class, claiming that it’s not allowed based on their curriculum. “Sign language teaching is not provided at the right level which deprives them of the opportunity to be empowered. Once they learn sign language then only we interpreters can play the role of supporting them.
Lack of proper hearing screening for kids at birth and vague communication from doctors on resources that can help – such as consultation with audiologists and sign language training – creates a knowledge gap in the Indian deaf community that affects their ability to seek help.
Sign language in India
One organization founded a few years ago to address this imbalance is the Association of Sign Language Interpreters India (ASLI), founded by Arun C. Rao. ASLI advocates for the deaf community and supports interpreters for the deaf in India. Roychowdhury is a member. Rao founded ASLI to develop the concept of sign language interpreting and to promote it as a professional service. Since sign language interpreting is not recognized as a profession, it’s not a designated post in any of the government bodies or companies in India. While global companies recognize its value and provide employment opportunities for sign language interpreters, in India, the profession is still in its nascent stage.
“We all work as freelancers as sign language interpreting is yet to be acknowledged as a profession, ” explains Roychowdhury. So fewer people opt to become certified interpreters – there are only 400-500 in the country. Of those, adds Roychowdhury, “only 40-50 may be skilled and doing ethical work of supporting those in need. Also, we just have diplomas in sign language learning and no proper degree courses which again shuts the door for those who want to learn and grow in this field.
Exploring deaf identity
A visit to an NGO where his wife, Pallavi Kulshrestha worked, inspired Roychowdhury to become a sign language interpreter after he observed deaf children struggling to communicate and understand the world around them.
It was a session by Indian American Dr. Alim Chandani and the Centum GRO course on deaf empowerment that led him to explore deaf identity and influenced him to choose this profession.
“That was a defining moment for me to participate in the session where we had interpreters from all over India come together to discuss the plight and the right course of action to encourage the deaf community,” said Roychowdhury. “The existing practice of conveying to them that they have a disability that needs to be rectified. We should motivate them to embrace their ‘deaf identity’ and empower them to be proud of who they are.”
The deaf lawyer community
It was through these sessions that Roychowdhury met Saudamini Pethe, an aspiring lawyer who learned about the thriving deaf lawyer community in the U.S. from Howard Rosenblum, CEO of the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) based in Maryland. Pethe longed to pursue law with the support of a sign language interpreter. Roychowdhury assisted Pethe during her LLB studies in India and became acquainted with the legal environment. This experience gave him the expertise he needed to interpret for Sarah Sunny at the Supreme Court. He dedicated this achievement to the late Saudamini Pethe who recently passed away.
If India wants its deaf community to thrive, several things need to change, said Roychowdhury. “The government should have a budget for the effective and sustained implementation of provisions under RPWD (Right of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016). There should be an interpreter in every district in the country to support them. Also, basic essential services like hospitals and police stations should have the facility of sign language support either by video or in-person so that people feel safe to communicate in times of crisis or need. We should provide the right ambiance and facility so that we have many like Sarah who can follow the path of success without any inhibition ”
Helping the deaf community to thrive
“I want to see a vibrant deaf community that is proud of their deaf identity and is aware of their rights and support system,” Roychowdhury.
A first practicing deaf lawyer is the first step.