The Tamil Nadu Police on Tuesday, April 23, detained several members of the Tamil Nadu Association for the Rights of All Types of Differently Abled and Caregivers (TARATDAC) who were participating in a protest in Chennai demanding increased financial support and job security for persons with disabilities.
The protesters planned to march from Ezhilagam to Fort St. George. However they were thwarted by authorities who detained participants at various locations before it could begin. According to reports, nearly 200 protesters were taken into custody from various locations including Koyambedu bus stand, Kilambakkam bus stand, Chennai Central railway station, and Marina Beach Road. The detained protesters were taken to a community welfare centre in Mudichur near Chennai.
The primary demand of the demonstrators was a substantial increase in monthly financial assistance for persons with disabilities, in line with the benefits currently offered in Andhra Pradesh. They called for Rs 6,000 per month for individuals with mild disabilities, Rs 10,000 for those with severe disabilities, and Rs 15,000 for those who are bedridden or living with spinal cord injuries.
In addition, the protesters urged the state government to ensure a minimum of 100 days of employment each year for persons with disabilities under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), without imposing any preconditions. They demanded full wages for four hours of work and an increase in guaranteed workdays to 125, as outlined in the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act.
Other demands included the immediate disbursal of pending wages under MGNREGS from the previous year and a restructuring of the implementation process for welfare schemes. Protesters argued that all financial assistance and disability-related welfare programs should be managed solely by the Department for the Welfare of the Differently Abled, rather than being split among multiple departments.