TIRUCHY: The 2021 Republic Day was unforgettable for M Sneha. Even as she hoisted the Tricolour at Subbaiah Memorial School in Tiruchy, her eyes went moist for getting respect and acceptance from all who had gathered.
The 41-year-old transwoman, who was the chief guest at the event, said it was the proudest moment of her life when she hoisted the flag with claps from students, teachers and the principal reverberating across the premises.
“I am grateful to you all for providing me this opportunity and I sincerely thank principal KS Jeevanandhan. I request all students to help trans people, and the greatest help you can do is accepting them as one of your own. Set yourselves big goals and work towards achieving them,” Sneha said.
Speaking on the occasion, Jeevanandhan said, “I wanted to do something special this year. I remember seeing a transwoman last week and thought it would be nice to have a person like her as our chief guest this year. I saw Sneha, who is working as driver at the Collectorate, and decided to invite her to the celebration. I wanted this to be a moment of acceptance for all our students and staff.
I want to create awareness of accepting and respecting trans people among all of us.” Sneha has been temporarily employed as driver for over three years now. Having dropped out of school at the age of 14, Sneha took a liking to being a driver like her brother. She learnt driving and dreamed of driving a car fitted with siren. After trying out odd jobs, she finally landed in this job at the Collectorate.
“Despite working as a driver for more than 12 years, people still look at me differently. If we teach children to accept and respect people like us, things will change for good. I hope my job is made a permanent one soon. I wish the next generation of trans people gets government jobs.”