At 5.30 p.m. on Friday, the tin shed adjacent to the Railway Magistrate Court in the Moore Market Complex was teeming with people, most were seated and incessantly clicking pictures on their cell phones of the officials on the dais. An unusual session was in progress -- a consultation in which persons from the transgender community were provided a forum to interact with officials from the Social Welfare Department to learn about the welfare schemes available to them.
This scene was an initiative of the Railway Protection Force to dissuade persons from the community from begging on trains and causing nuisance to fellow passengers. “Recently, there have been a series of complaints from the public against persons from the transgender community begging on trains. We receive two or three complaints in writing every month,” said S.R.Gandhi, Senior Divisional Security Commissioner, RPF, who was present at the meeting.
“Since the community already undergoes so many hardships I did not want to make their situation worse by punishing them under the criminal system,” he said, stressing the importance of such a consultation.
Officials from the Social Welfare Department listed a series of welfare schemes that are available for the community to access but transgender activists pointed out that to access them an identity card is required. “To get such a card we need to show proof of address, age, name at birth…” said 40-year-old Radha, dressed in a light pink chiffon sari, about how difficult it is to acquire the documents. “It took me five months to physically receive the card.”
But Radha is still one of the lucky ones who escaped begging as she earns enough for her sustenance from a food stall she runs in Thiruvottiyur. The variety of tiffin items she listed was exhaustive for the small stall she operates. “I can make all kinds of chutneys,” she continued as a swarm of mosquitoes circled over her head. “Mint, tomato, coconut…”, and the list went on only to be interrupted by a curious question asked by 22-year-old Manimegalai. “Do you think there is a leg piece in here?” she asked about the food packs that were handed out at the meeting.
Food is an integral part of life for the transgender community and many boast of their excellent cooking skills. “We are known to be great cooks be it for ‘meen kozhambu' or ‘curry kozhambu',” said Priya Babu, transgender activist and writer. The reference to the community's culinary skills was met with thunderous applause as there was an underlying message to this observation. “Getting jobs will solve our problems and the Southern Railways can provide work for us in the catering department,” added Priya.
“I may not be in a position to make decisions about jobs in the catering and cleaning services of the Railway department but I can definitely represent your case to higher levels,” replied Mr.Gandhi.
Begging on trains will continue for 19-year-old Anushree who has just moved to Chennai as attempts at finding a respectable job have been futile. “I went to a call centre but they refused to give me a job because I am a transgender. If you give me work, I will happily do it but until then I will have to beg,” Anushree said with a characteristic clap of the hands. “We have demands for both the Central government and the Railways ,” said T.D. Siva, State Coordinator of Sangama -- an NGO that works to promote LGBT community rights. “We want a one per cent reservation in educational institutions and for employment in the central government,” he said. The community plans to draft a formal petition and submit it to RPF officials in a week's time.
