Lesser citizens
- Any transgender residing in Delhi for a period of more than 3 yrs is eligible for a pension of Rs.1000. The pension scheme is inadequate and poses a risk to their traditional occupation as many households deny them money.
- The members of the hijra community (homogeneous entity) are engaged in sex-work or traditional occupations such as toli-badhai (giving blessings to married couples, new-born children, etc).
- In Delhi & other parts of north India, transgender diversification is seen in terms of gender identity, livelihoods, residential colonies & limited access towards education, health, individual rights and other state resources.
- The hijra community complains of harassment by law enforcement agencies.
- The piecemeal measures, to improve their lives, has adversely impacted their traditional occupations. State governments of Tamil Nadu & Karnataka have adopted a more holistic approach for transgenders to increase access to state resources.
- Very few transgenders & hijras could avail schemes and voting rights inspite of residing in Delhi for 3 yrs.
- Many are homeless destitutes suffering different problems are forced to beg for their living.
- The transgenders and hijras are also being abducted and gang-raped.
- Many hijras lost their lives in Delhi’s Nand Nagari fire incident (2011), & as the government/law does not recognise transgenders ties with people who support them, their compensation went to their biological families.
- The major concerns were access to education and health, understanding the need for legal recognition for the transgender, increased awareness, access to social welfare schemes and an end to harassment by law enforcement agencies.
- The Tamil Nadu Transgender Welfare Board was constituted in 2008 with 8 members of the community & 11 members of various departments of the State government. Measures taken :
- have taken holistic approach towards the welfare of transgender persons.
- have included special self-help groups for transgenders
- free sex change operations in government hospitals and education in government schools and colleges.
- low-cost housing and loans for starting small businesses.
- These initiatives had major impact on the lives of transgender persons in the cities and have also found mention in the election manifestos of the two major parties in TN.
- Karnataka government has made some token policy commitments in 2010 which spoke about equal access to opportunities in education, employment, low-cost housing, and pensions to address complex issues of identity and traditional livelihoods. But these commitments are yet to be honored.
- Policies should also address the larger question of how and where the state can intervene. State interventions have been designed in such a way that help for transgenders are conceived only in terms of “doles” and “welfare” rather than access to state resources as equal citizens.
Exams Perspective:
- Transgender Welfare measures
- Delhi Government initiatives on transgender welfare
- Tamil Nadu Government initiatives on transgender welfare
- Karnataka Government initiatives on transgender welfare
- State of Transgenders in India