NEW DELHI: “How can the government dictate the identity we should embrace?” This was the question on the lips of every member of the transgender community, who gathered in the national capital on Friday to protest against the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2016, which was recently passed in the Lok Sabha. Majority of the members at the spot said that the Bill does not cater to their interests.
They said their goal is to stop the Bill from being passed in the Rajya Sabha. The mood, as the transgender people massed at the venue of protest, was one of resolve. The Bill stipulates that the district screening committee has to establish that a person belongs to the trans community.
“The Bill is a direct attack on the hijra community and their traditional way of life. The Modi government cannot use the Bill against us. We should be involved in formulating a Bill, which is aimed at safeguarding our interests,” said Jhuma, a member of the trans community, from Kolkata, who was among the scores at the site of protest on Friday.
Lack of reservation in jobs and discrimination in the organised workforce add to the litany of woes of the transgender community, said Satyashri Sharmila, who struggled for years to get enrolled as a transgender lawyer in Chennai. Given the lack of opportunities for members of the community, success stories like Sharmila’s are few and far between, some members pointed out.
With begging being criminalised under the Bill, the community said it would deprive them of their livelihood. They said the government should have put forward some alternative sources of livelihood before making begging a criminal offence under the Bill.“Where are jobs to ensure a secure livelihood for members of the hijra community? For generations, we have begged for a living. How are we supposed to find alternative sources of income now?” 50-year-old Lakshmi from Bangalore said. Kiran Raj from Telangana, who identifies himself as being a trans man, said acceptance in the society is the biggest hurdle before the community.
Contentious points
Gender is a fluid concept and also a social construct. How can a screening committee decide if a person is a transgender? Why is a medical officer required for this?
Begging, which has been criminalised under this Bill, is their only source of livelihood. They said they are often forced into begging in the absence of any alternative sources of livelihood
The Bill, which provides for a two-year sentence for sexual violence involving a transgender, fails to
safeguard their interests