THOOTHUKUDI: A group of transgender persons staged a protest in front of the Thoothukudi collectorate on Monday condemning the introduction of a toll-free number to complain about transgender persons by the police. The toll-free number was launched in November 2022 after the arrest of four transgender persons for extortion.
According to sources, around 50 transgender persons came to submit a petition with the collector during the grievance redressal meeting, following which they resorted to protest, stating that the toll-free number portrays transgender persons in a bad light. "Not all transgender persons are criminals," said Soniya, a transgender woman.
The protestors alleged that the police have been telling house owners to not provide their houses for rent to transgender persons and have banned them from taking alms from shops. "These kinds of orders coerce transgender persons and push them further into poverty and hardships. There are over 350 transgender persons in Thoothukudi, whose lives are in jeopardy after the police's gag orders, Soniya added.
Meanwhile, Hindu Munnai activists submitted a complaint against a CSI Church at Servaikaranmadam village for encroaching 2.2-cent government land." The CSI church had been building a house for priests on the encroached land. It is illegal and the district administration must take necessary steps," said Hindu Munnani state vice president VP Jeyakumar.
A group of washermen submitted a petition demanding the removal of an entertainment park constructed inside the washing ghat in Thoothukudi municipal corporation. They also urged the district administration to expedite the construction of the washing ghat, which began in 2019.