A principal scientist with a disability, who works at the Central Leather Research Institute (CLRI) and has been asking for a transfer to the environment technology division since October last year, has finally won his battle after staging a protest in front of the institute on Monday morning.

D. Gnana Bharathi was working at the Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research in Dhanbad until an accident left him with a spinal injury and he was transferred to CLRI here in 2007. Mr. Bharathi alleges that despite his qualifications in geology and his interest in working for the environment technology division, he was appointed to work in the library. “Since then, I have been working on projects and studying further and had applied for a transfer to the environment technology division. However, despite the transfer being sanctioned by the then director of the institute last December, I was not transferred,” he said.

On Monday, Mr. Bharathi, along with members of the Disability Rights Alliance, Tamil Nadu, the Tamil Nadu Differently Abled Federation Charitable Trust, the December 3 movement and the Spinal Injured Persons Association protested at the gate of the institute. They alleged Mr. Bharathi’s transfer had been stalled on account of his disability and said this was a violation of the Persons with Disability Act, 1995.

In the afternoon, the director met the protesters. “The director told us my request would be considered positively. He said it would take two days. We said we would sit in protest till we got the order. Following this, he issued the order that I would be transferred until the completion of my PhD. We refused to accept this and after this, a full transfer was issued,” said Mr. Bharathi.