CHENNAI: A 67-year-old hearing impaired man died on Thursday after developing headache while protesting along with other differently-abled demanding better financial assistance from government. Kuppusamy was rushed to Royapettah hospital on Wednesday night and passed away in the early hours of Thursday. Hailing from Vellore district, Kuppusamy, a porter, had arrived in the city on Monday for the protest that was organised by various disability welfare associations to demand the government to fill the three per cent of reserved jobs for the differently-abled.
On Wednesday night, he was kept at Rajarathinam stadium along with other protesters after being taken into custody from Marina beach, the protest venue. “On Wednesday night, he said he was in pain and he suddenly started to bleed from the mouth. We rushed him to Royapettah hospital. However, doctors told us that he would be fine, but we suddenly got a call from his caretaker this morning saying that he had passed away. We were really taken aback,” said Deepak, from the December 3 Association, one of the main organisers of the protest.
Kuppusamy’s death has not deterred the participants who are determined to carry on. Apart from the demand to fill all the three per cent seats reserved for the physically challenged in government posts, the differently abled are also demanding 40 per cent hike in their monthly allowance along with 100 houses to be set up for them. The protest that has remained steadfast for the last four days is being organised by four major associations — Tamil Nadu Association for the Rights of all Differently Abled and Caregivers, National Federation for the Blind, Tamil Nadu Association for the Deaf and the December 3 Organisation. Kuppusamy’s body was handed over to his family and is being transported to his home in Vellore.
