People with Disabilities Detained During Peaceful Protest in Tamil Nadu

Chennai, April 22, 2025 — In a shocking turn of events, Tamil Nadu Police detained thousands of people with disabilities across the state today, drawing strong condemnation from civil society and human rights organizations. The protesters, many of whom had traveled long distances to participate in a peaceful assembly in Chennai, were met with sweeping crackdowns and detentions.

The demonstration was organized by the Tamil Nadu affiliate of the National Platform for the Rights of the Disabled (NPRD), the Tamilnadu Association for the Rights of all Types of Differently Abled & Caregivers (TARATDAC). The protest aimed to spotlight long-standing demands related to social security, employment, and dignity for people with disabilities.

Chief among their demands was an increase in disability pensions to rupees 6,000, employment under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) for all eligible people with disabilities, and a reversal of the recent decision that increased working hours for people with disabilities from four to eight hours under government schemes.

Despite the peaceful nature of the protest, authorities launched a coordinated crackdown on the night of April 21. According to reports, several district-level leaders of TARATDAC were placed under house arrest. Nearly 10,000 people with disabilities en route to Chennai were prevented from boarding public transport or forcibly removed from buses and trains. In Chennai and its neighboring districts of Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, and Thiruvallur, protestors were detained in approximately 20 different locations.

Still, an estimated 8,000 determined demonstrators reached Chennai, were key leaders including NPRD Working President Namburajan, Vice President Jansi Rani, Treasurer K. R. Chakravarthi, and TARATDAC President Wilson were arrested by police from the Anna Square station.

The National Platform for the Rights of the Disabled issued a scathing condemnation of the government's actions. "This action by the Tamil Nadu Police directed at one of the most marginalized sections of our society is utterly reprehensible and unacceptable," said Muralidharan, General Secretary of NPRD. "Peaceful protest is a constitutional right. The Tamil Nadu government must immediately release all those detained and cease its repressive tactics. It should engage in a meaningful dialogue with disabled leaders aimed at resolving the issues that they are highlighting."

As news of the crackdown spreads, national and international human rights groups are beginning to take notice. The events of April 22 may mark a turning point in the growing movement for disability rights in India—a movement now met with both resistance and resilience.

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) handling of the protest shows a clear unwillingness to engage with the real and urgent issues faced by people with disabilities in the state. Resorting to detentions, travel restrictions, and force instead of addressing legitimate demands reveals a top-down, authoritarian approach that has no place in a democracy. Blocking one of the most marginalized sections of society from exercising their constitutional right to protest is not governance — it is suppression.

This troubling pattern was further underscored on April 14, 2025, when DMK Minister Duraimurugan sparked outrage by using the term “Oonamutravargal” during a political meeting in Thoothukudi. The term, widely condemned as outdated and deeply offensive when referring to people with disabilities, has no place in modern, respectful discourse. Language shapes perception, and when leaders resort to derogatory terminology, it only deepens the systemic disregard faced by disabled communities.

These incidents are not isolated missteps — they reflect a deeper, institutional apathy that must be urgently addressed. A government that claims to champion social justice cannot afford to alienate and silence those who need justice the most. It is time for the DMK to move beyond optics and take meaningful, inclusive action that respects the dignity, rights, and voices of all citizens — especially the most marginalized.