Rally marks conclusion of ‘Thirunangaigal week'

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

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Spreading a message: Participants at a rally organised by the TAI-VHS in Chennai on Monday — Photo: M. Karunakaran

Hundreds of members of the transgender community participated in a rally here on Monday.

The rally, organised by the Tamil Nadu AIDS Initiative (TAI) – Voluntary Health Services

Rally marks conclusion of ‘Thirunangaigal week'

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

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Spreading a message: Participants at a rally organised by the TAI-VHS in Chennai on Monday — Photo: M. Karunakaran

Hundreds of members of the transgender community participated in a rally here on Monday.

The rally, organised by the Tamil Nadu AIDS Initiative (TAI) – Voluntary Health Services (VHS), was an opportunity to express their gratitude to the government for various schemes for the community, participants said. It also marked the conclusion of the ‘Thirunangaigal week' celebrations.

Lakshmi Bai, project director, TAI-VHS, who met Deputy Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Monday evening, said she appealed to him to consider declaring a day as ‘Thirunangaigal Day'.

“He has assured us that the matter would be taken to the Chief Minister for his consideration. It will make a big difference to the community if a day is specially dedicated to them,” she said.

Earlier at the rally, Sindu, an artist of the TAI Kavya cultural group that puts up programmes on social issues, said it was very important that awareness be created at school level. “We want to promote sensitivity to social issues and an overall change in the attitude towards the transgender community. We are just like anyone else and that has to be understood by all,” she said.

Ragavi, another member, said the government's support in terms of welfare measures for the community, inclusion in the voters' list, provision of ration cards, loans and even the introduction of the word ‘Thirunangai' was very supportive.

(VHS), was an opportunity to express their gratitude to the government for various schemes for the community, participants said. It also marked the conclusion of the ‘Thirunangaigal week' celebrations.

Lakshmi Bai, project director, TAI-VHS, who met Deputy Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Monday evening, said she appealed to him to consider declaring a day as ‘Thirunangaigal Day'.

“He has assured us that the matter would be taken to the Chief Minister for his consideration. It will make a big difference to the community if a day is specially dedicated to them,” she said.

Earlier at the rally, Sindu, an artist of the TAI Kavya cultural group that puts up programmes on social issues, said it was very important that awareness be created at school level. “We want to promote sensitivity to social issues and an overall change in the attitude towards the transgender community. We are just like anyone else and that has to be understood by all,” she said.

Ragavi, another member, said the government's support in terms of welfare measures for the community, inclusion in the voters' list, provision of ration cards, loans and even the introduction of the word ‘Thirunangai' was very supportive.

Police to stem aggressive begging by hijras

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The police will take action against aggressive begging by hijras, City Police Commissioner Shankar M. Bidari said here on Monday.

“Eunuchs, transsexuals, transgender community and others are pestering motorists for money at traffic junctions and indulging in illegal activities. We have received several complaints against them and will take stringent against them if they harass the people,” he told presspersons. “No one has the right to extort money from the public on roads and at traffic junctions.”

According to an Assistant Commissioner of Police, the police have been receiving complaints against eunuchs and other sexual minorities. They are misbehaving with the motorists and also general public at parks. The police will launch a special drive against sexual minorities who are found harassing the general public at public places.

Sangama reacts

Meanwhile, Akkai, an activist of Sangama, the sexuality minorities' human rights organisation, said a small section of sexuality minorities may be indulging in such illegal activities. “But that should not be taken as a reason to harass the innocent,” Ms. Akkai said.

The correct picture

AKILA KANNADASAN

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CINEMA Transgenders are often objects of ridicule in films. ‘Narthagi' attempts to change that

setting misconceptions right Kalki on her new film Photo: AFP

T amil cinema has long degraded transgenders, often depicting them as prostitutes and hecklers. “This should change. Such movies give the audience a wrong notion about us,” says Kalki

The correct picture

AKILA KANNADASAN

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CINEMA Transgenders are often objects of ridicule in films. ‘Narthagi' attempts to change that

setting misconceptions right Kalki on her new film Photo: AFP

T amil cinema has long degraded transgenders, often depicting them as prostitutes and hecklers. “This should change. Such movies give the audience a wrong notion about us,” says Kalki Subramanian, a transgender rights activist.

As the first step to educate the public using the visual media, a dedicated team of technicians has come forward to make a movie about the life of a transgender. Kalki has played the lead role.

“Narthagi is produced by ‘Punnagai poo' Geetha and directed by journalist-turned director G. Vijayapadma. G.V. Prakash has scored the music. The movie was shot for a period of two months in places such as Thanjavur, Thiruvaiyaru, Mumbai and Chennai. Actor Girish Karnad has played the role of my father,” says Kalki.

“The script is derived from real-life incidents of the transgender community. Re-recording work is now on and the movie will be released around February 14,” she adds.

Kalki is unhappy that the Central Board of Film Certification has issued Narthagi an ‘A' certificate. “When the Board can issue a ‘U' certificate for movies with scenes in which transgenders are called offensive names, it's sad that ‘Narthagi' has been certified as ‘A'.”

Project Kalki

Kalki is playing an active part in transgender empowerment. She was recently invited by the United States Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs to take part in the International Visitor Leadership programme. She has now initiated a web channel, www.projectkalki.com as part of ‘Project Kalki'.

The web channel will have dedicated content posted by transgenders who will be trained and equipped with a camera.

“They can make as much as Rs.2, 000 for each story they file,” says Kalki.

Kalki also has a French movie in the pipeline. “Talks are now on and if things go well, we should start shooting by the end of this year,” she says.

AKILA KANNADASAN

Subramanian, a transgender rights activist.

As the first step to educate the public using the visual media, a dedicated team of technicians has come forward to make a movie about the life of a transgender. Kalki has played the lead role.

“Narthagi is produced by ‘Punnagai poo' Geetha and directed by journalist-turned director G. Vijayapadma. G.V. Prakash has scored the music. The movie was shot for a period of two months in places such as Thanjavur, Thiruvaiyaru, Mumbai and Chennai. Actor Girish Karnad has played the role of my father,” says Kalki.

“The script is derived from real-life incidents of the transgender community. Re-recording work is now on and the movie will be released around February 14,” she adds.

Kalki is unhappy that the Central Board of Film Certification has issued Narthagi an ‘A' certificate. “When the Board can issue a ‘U' certificate for movies with scenes in which transgenders are called offensive names, it's sad that ‘Narthagi' has been certified as ‘A'.”

Project Kalki

Kalki is playing an active part in transgender empowerment. She was recently invited by the United States Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs to take part in the International Visitor Leadership programme. She has now initiated a web channel, www.projectkalki.com as part of ‘Project Kalki'.

The web channel will have dedicated content posted by transgenders who will be trained and equipped with a camera.

“They can make as much as Rs.2, 000 for each story they file,” says Kalki.

Kalki also has a French movie in the pipeline. “Talks are now on and if things go well, we should start shooting by the end of this year,” she says.

AKILA KANNADASAN

Photo travelogue on transgender life released

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‘Hijada', a photographer's travelogue by news photographer P. Abhijith on the world of transgenders, was released at the Sports Council Hall here on Wednesday. A. Revati, a transgender activist from Tamil Nadu, accepted the first copy of the book from writer Subhash Chandran.

In his inaugural address, Mr. Chandran said the book would be an eye-opener to the Malayalees and would wipe out their stigma against the transgender community. The initiative was laudable as the photographer spent three years to complete the work, he added.

Delivering the presidential address, writer Civic Chandran said the book would secure a space in history for its role in informing Keralites about the grim lives of transgenders. The work, published by Prasantha Books, was also an expression of solidarity to the members of the community who were being sidelined, he added.

Expressing gratitude to the photographer's initiative, Ms. Revati said people from her community were being sidelined because of society's ignorance of their plight. “We are glad to learn that there are compassionate persons in Kerala who can realistically portray our trauma,” she said.

Addressing the gathering, Akkai Amma, another transgender activist from Bangalore, said the transgenders' community never wanted to confine their lives under the tag ‘third genders' as fixed by the government. She urged the government to use the word ‘transgender' instead of ‘third gender' in the coming gender census.

Mr. Abhijith prepared the travelogue—comprising 90 exclusive pictures and captions unveiling the customs and practices of transgenders—by visiting a number of destinations in Tamil Nadu. He said he could interact with hundreds of transgenders in Tamil Nadu to understand the discrimination and challenges they faced.

Transgender week

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Event Thirunangaigal week was celebrated with villagers and senior citizens this year

‘T hirunangaigal Week' was celebrated in the city from January 18 to 22. Every year during this week, members of the transgender community in the 12 districts of Tamil Nadu involve themselves in various activities as part of their efforts to sensitise the society about their problems. They also organise events to showcase their talents and do their bit for society.

This year, the community joined hands with Anganwadi workers and organised awareness camps on hypertension and diabetes in Veerapandi, Pollachi, Goundapalayam, Mettupalayam and Perur Chettipalayam. Games were conducted for senior citizens and prizes were distributed.

According to Dr Laksmi Bai, Project Director, Tamil Nadu AIDS Initiative, “The support from the public was very encouraging. The community was able to express its concern for the welfare of the society. It has definitely earned the transgenders a lot of recognition. There has been a huge difference in people's attitudes as well.”

EWS » NATIONAL

NEW DELHI, February 6, 2011

Transgenders need justice, say judges

S. ARUN MOHAN

J. VENKATESAN

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There is no space available for transgenders in hospital wards, says M.Y. Eqbal

The panel discussion was going at full throttle when Justice Altamas Kabir walked in. A hushed silence fell over the room as the participants realised that a Supreme Court judge had just joined the debate. With a swish of his hand, a visibly embarrassed Justice Kabir gestured for everyone to resume the discussion.

At the end of the session here on Saturday, the judge had a number of questions to ask and suggestions to make.

Such was the support that the national seminar on ‘Transgenders and the Law' received from the higher echelons of the judiciary that it was hard to absorb that it dealt with the plight of one of the most invisible minorities in India.

Justice Kabir, who inaugurated the seminar, jointly organised by the National and Delhi Legal Services Authority and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), spoke of the need to treat the transgender community with respect and dignity.

“The Constitution affirms equality in all spheres but the moot question is whether it is being applied.”

Earlier, delivering the keynote address the Chief Justice of the Madras High Court, M.Y. Eqbal, enumerated the steps taken by the Tamil Nadu government to integrate transgenders into the mainstream community.

“The progress made in fostering public health systems and affirmative action policies for transgenders in Tamil Nadu should be replicated at the national level.”

Highlighting their problems, Justice Eqbal said there was no space available for them in hospital wards.

“The authorities do not admit them in the women's ward because women do not feel comfortable or free in their presence, and in the men's ward they face sexual abuse. Besides, there are no separate toilet facilities for them.”

Echoing Justice Eqbal's sentiments, the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court, Dipak Mishra, who presided, urged the mainstream society to draw strength from “the compassionate ethos” of the Constitution.

Justice V. Vikramajit Sen of the Delhi High Court, in his opening remarks, said the judiciary needed to enable the transgender community's right to social inclusion.

It came to light at the seminar that neighbouring Nepal and Pakistan had remarkably progressive laws that dealt with the concerns of transgenders. In fact, the Supreme Court of Pakistan recently delivered a landmark decision upholding the rights of the community to access all public schemes.

Caitlin Wiesen, Country Director of the UNDP, said it had documented ground realities in India, and it was clear that many concerns of transgenders had not been addressed.

The opening segment was followed by two technical sessions at which resource persons attempted to “unveil the truth” about the transgenders and elaborated on the medical, health and legal issues faced by them.

“We have faced innumerable hurdles, right from getting a job to adopting a child,” said Kalki Subramaniam, who heads the Sahodari Foundation in Chennai.

“And it is time that society realised that being transgender is not about begging or sex work.”

Keywords: Transgenders and the Law

Held for murder bid

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One person from the transgender community was arrested here on Wednesday for cutting off the private parts of a man, Ramesh, following a fight.

The incident happened on Tuesday night. Ramesh, a Mangolpuri resident, was staying with his three children and a group of transgenders. He was also a drum player. Following a fight, four transgenders allegedly attacked and castrated him.

Ramesh was admitted in the intensive care unit of Harish Chander Hospital. He is out of danger. An attempt to murder has been registered against Chandra, one of the transgenders. While Chandra was arrested on Wednesday, the others are absconding.

Building for transgender population inaugurated

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For livelihood:Superintendent of Police V.Balakrishnan handing over a sewing machine to a transgender group in Tirupur on Friday.— Photo: M.Balaji

Superintendent of Police V. Balakrishnan inaugurated a ‘self-employment' building constructed by Rotary Club of Tirupur Dollar City for transgender population at Neruparichal near here on Friday.

The edifice, equipped with sewing machines and cutting tables meant to carry out textile related activities, was built at Rs. 4.2 lakh to provide space for transgender community to make a livelihood from textile job works.

The club in association with Erode-based Vsukira Community Health Counselling Trust had also given away identity cards to 40 members of the Tirupur District Transgender Rehabilitation Society.

Club president K. Vijayakumar and president-elect K. Vasanth Kumar, among others, were present.