The transgender community remains unsatisfied with government efforts to assist them, they say money is not enough for them to survive.
Lucknow: Dhananjay Chauhan, a transwoman from Chandigarh said that their lives as transgender people have always been challenging. They have been a discarded part of society, who have never been accepted or respected. “Most of the trans-people I know, have been disowned by their families for their identities.So, to cater to their basic necessities, most start begging or prostitution,” she said.
The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment initiated to assist the transgender community with Rs. 1,500 each in the view of the Covid-19 pandemic, Monday. In addition to that, a helpline number was launched for the mental health.care of the transgender people.
“We can never make enough to lead a normal life. The initiative by the government is good, but they also need to understand that nothing happens in Rs. 1,500. We have to manage our monthly ration, rent, and all the other basic necessities, which isn’t possible with this amount of money. I request the government to consider us a part of society and help with our basic needs,” Dhananjay added.
The announcement was made through a press release, and a google form was attached alongwith for the beneficiaries to fill in their details to avail the money. This followed many distressed calls and emails from the community seeking help.
R. Kaleemullah, a state coordination committee member of the Swaraj Abhiyan and a social activist said, “It is shameful for the government to even think about assisting the community with such a tiny amount of money. In today’s world, nothing can happen in Rs. 1,500. Providing the community with this amount of money and calling it assistance is not something I approve of.”
“The people from the transgender community are as normal and human as anyone. Even during covid, they visited nearby villages to provide people with basic necessities, risking infection themselves. Society looks down upon them because they work as sex workers. They do it because they see no other way to calm their hunger. I think they should at least get Rs. 10,000 in government assistance, so that they can better handle the situation,” he added.
