KOCHI: Transgender activists have alleged that the ID cards given to the community by the Social Justice Department is a violation of their rights. The cards don’t have the emblem of the state, but that of the department. The allegations were made when activists Renjumol Mohan, Adithi Achu, Avantika Vishnu and Faisal Faisu addressed a press meet.
“The cards that will be issued are a violation of the Supreme Court Division Bench order in the NALSA verdict in 2014, which stated clearly that ‘it is the right of the individual to choose the gender’. The court had also stated that asking them to undergo surgeries or medical test is wrong. The state government is trying to do just that. Our Aadhaar cards clearly state that we are transgenders. Why should we get a card that doesn’t even have the state’s emblem and asks for an invasion of our privacy,” asked Faisal Faisu.
The cards are being distributed through the Social Justice Department’s district offices. They are mandatory for a person to get benefits that are available to transgenders. The group also spoke about the non-democratic working of transgender justice boards.
“The boards don’t have proper representation. A huge chunk of the people in these boards belong to one association of transgenders who are lenient towards the current political situation. The representation should be made democratic,” said Adithi Achu.
They also said the functioning of the transgender clinic in Kottayam is in jeopardy. “In the beginning, the endocrinologist and psychiatrist at the clinic were understanding people. They were compassionate and helped us a lot. They were shifted to different districts and the current doctors are not as compassionate or helpful. We have requested the earlier doctors be brought back at least on the days the transgender clinic functions,” said Renjumol Mohan. The activists also called for a resurvey to find out the number of transgenders in the state.