■   Pamela Satpathy performs the National Anthem in Indian Sign Language, captivating Independence Day audience.

■   First-of-its-kind ISL training for district officials to address hearing-impaired citizens’ needs.

■   Minister Sridhar Babu hails the Collector’s creativity and empathy.

metro india news  I hyderabad

In a unique and heartwarming moment during the Independence Day celebrations in Karimnagar, District Collector Pamela Satpathy left the audience spellbound by rendering the National Anthem in Indian Sign Language (ISL). The gesture, which turned into the highlight of the celebrations at the Police Parade Grounds, received applause from minister, officials, and attendees alike.

IT and Industries Minister Duddilla Sridhar Babu, who attended the event, lauded the Collector’s creativity and compassion. “Shabash, Collector! The way you rendered the National Anthem in Indian Sign Language was extraordinary,” he remarked, praising her for setting an inspiring example.

Pamela Satpathy, known for her innovative and people-centric approach, has been making a mark in development and welfare initiatives in Karimnagar. This Independence Day, she added another feather to her cap by taking inclusivity to the next level—making sure the National Anthem resonated with the hearing-impaired community.

Joining her were Additional Collector Ashwini Tanaji Wakade, Municipal Commissioner Prapul Desai, and hearing-impaired students. Together, they performed the anthem in ISL, earning admiration from the crowd, which watched the rendition with rapt attention.

This remarkable display was not a standalone gesture. It was the culmination of a thoughtful initiative by the Collector to bridge the communication gap between the administration and the hearing-impaired community. Earlier, Satpathy had arranged a seven-day basic ISL training program for district officials, enabling them to understand and respond effectively to the grievances of hearing-impaired citizens.

The training, aimed at sensitising officials, ensured they could grasp basic sign language and thus directly address the concerns of the differently-abled without the need for intermediaries. This move, unique to Karimnagar in the state, has been widely appreciated as a model of inclusive governance. On Independence Day, the synergy of this initiative came alive. The Collector, alongside officials and specially-abled children from an ashram school, synchronised every sign with the Anthem’s words—turning it into a visual and emotional experience for all present.

The performance drew repeated applause and left a lasting impression on the audience, underscoring the message that patriotism transcends spoken language. Across the district, citizens and social groups have hailed Satpathy’s effort as an example of empathy in administration, proving that innovation in governance is as much about the heart as it is about policy.