Date:19/11/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/19/stories/2008111956401100.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Transsexuals seek special law to ensure welfare of the community

Staff Reporter

‘Include third gender column in ration cards’
Political representation sought to protect rights

— Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy

FIGHTING FOR RIGHTS: Participants at a convention in Bangalore on Tuesday.

Bangalore: The alleged eviction of hijras in Dasarahalli in Bangalore last week and the alleged continuing police harassment of them have resulted in discontent among transsexuals and the organisations supporting their rights.

At a gathering of over 1,000 hijras organised by the Samata Sanik Dal (SSD), members of the People’s Union of Civil Liberties and the All India Federation of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, among others, demanded that Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa announce special legislation for the hijra community, on the lines of what is done in Tamil Nadu.

M. Venkataswamy, SSD State unit president, said that special legislation should be brought in to ensure that members of the hijra community were given third gender identity and a third gender column be added to their ration cards, on the lines of what is done in Nepal.

They demanded that members of the hijra community should be given special political representation so that their rights are also kept in mind when various political decisions are taken. Their other demands include the initiation of housing programmes for hijras, voting rights and projects for their livelihoods.

The SSD also passed a resolution demanding that the Commissioner of Police direct officers in all police stations in Bangalore to stop “harassing” hijras. “Many false accusations and generalisations have been used to harass the hijra community recently and this must stop,” Mr. Venkataswamy added.

All of these demands will be presented in the form of a memorandum to the Chief Minister as well as the Director-General of Police in the next day or two.

A protest rally of hijras to the Chief Minister’s residence has been planned in mid-December to reiterate these demands.

The meeting also marked the announcement of the formation of a new organisation called Karnataka Mangalamukhi Sanghatan, affiliated to the Samata Sainik Dal.

The sanghatan will start official operations in the next 15 days.

With 3,000 members under its banner, this organisation will work towards the welfare of hijras, and bring all the hijras of the State under one banner.

Kalpana, leading the Karnataka Mangalamukhi Sanghatan, said that representatives from each village and community of hijras would be mobilised to bring all of them together creating a unified organisations to deal with the atrocities on the hijra community.