While the COVID-19 lockdown has hit normal life for all, transgenders are among the worst affected.
While those who have ration cards managed to get ₹1,000 and groceries from the fair price shops, others are left in a lurch.
“When we called the Social Welfare Department hepline, they helped by depositing ₹1000 to some 60 of us who have got identity card from the Social Welfare Department,” said Malavika* (27).
Malavika is among 32 transgenders who live in Ashok Nagar in Srivilliputtur.
Many of them used to make a living by dancing in public functions and funerals. Some of them would go out for collecting money from shops.
“But, under the lockdown condition, we have neither any opportunity to go out for dancing nor to collect money,” said another transgender Rishika*.
The immediate need they have to meet is the house rent. These transgenders were living in small groups in houses in Ashok Nagar.
“As we have been deserted by our families, even getting houses on rent is a difficult task. Exploiting our plight, we were forced to pay higher rent,” Malavika said.
With the turn of May on Friday, they have accumulated arrear of two month’s rent.
In all these 38 days of lockdown, many of them have got only around 10 kg of rice and some vegetables, distributed by the local MLA, M. Chandraprabha and the Srivilliputtur Taluk Office.
“How can we run our lives with only this? We have now cut down our food to twice a day. But, still it is not manageable,” Rishika said.
After they complained about their plight with the Social Welfare Department, the district administration deposited Rs. 1,000 in their bank accounts of some of them.
“Out of the 260 transgenders in the district, some 50 had ration cards and managed to get the money. We deposited money to 64 persons. Since others did not have bank accounts, we could not deposit money to their accounts,” Virudhunagar district Social Welfare Officer, R. Indira, said
“When many of us do not have even a single penny to buy a cup of tea, how can we open a bank account now without depositing a minimum amount,” asked Malavika.
The transgenders are looking up to the district administration to mitigate their economical crisis.
Ms. Indira said that process of depositing money to remaining of the transgenders is underway and would soon be deposited.
