Tamil’s Transgender Community
Indian society has a 4000-year history of pushing its male to female transgender community into becoming Hijra. Hijra are males who dress and take on the mannerisms of a woman. They are closely associated with prostitution, begging and are thought of as powerful deities of fertility. Hijra are both repelled and feared by the majority of society. Given the horrific discrimination transgendered people face in India, many individuals see becoming Hijra as the only possible role for them in society.
However, significant strides have been made for transgender rights in Tamil Nadu. In most states, transgendered individuals are not permitted to obtain fundamental rights, such as voter registration or ration cards. This robs them of the ability to have a say in their government and receive basis services.
Tamil Nadu established India’s first transgender social welfare board in 2008. This body was assembled in response to the great discrimination and health dangers faced by Tamil’s transgendered community. Tamil Nadu’s transgender welfare board issued ration cards for transgender individuals. The government issued a state census to identify and provide Tamil transgendered individuals with identity cards. One month after the board was formed, the government issued a third order, guaranteeing transgenders reserved seats in Tamil Nadu’s colleges and universities.
Many believe the transgendered social welfare board is highly ineffective and lacks the forward momentum many people in the transgendered community need to see. In response to this, a coalition of transgender organizations came together to form the Federation of Indian Transgender (FIT). This body was formed to monitor the progress and efficacy of Tamil’s transgender welfare board.
Despite this controversy, Tamil Nadu is struggling to pilot a more accepting space for transgendered individuals in India. For this we must give the state credit. However, transgendered individuals—whether identifying as Hijra or otherwise—face tremendous discrimination across all sectors and all states. We must support them and others in building a more accepting and free India.
Mani Manickem
I come from a very poor, dalit family. I grew up in a Chennai slum, and had to leave school in Class 4 because my parents could not afford to pay for my education. I was adopted by a richer family who helped me complete high school. When my father passed away, I moved back in with my family in a South Chennai slum and started working with an NGO that made storybooks for children.
I now work with another NGO, where I train more than 5000 science teachers a year in how to teach science. I had no background in science and yet I taught them. This showed me that if I wanted to do something, I could put my mind to it and do it. Even though I hate studying, I did my Bachelor’s in Science because the teachers I was training did not feel I was qualified to teach them.
I want to work for my community, and I want to be a role model for them. I want to represent them in the government so I am going to run for the MP elections in the next five years. In this way I’ll be able to work to make their situation better. For now, through IndiaUnheard, I tell some stories about them to the world so that people outside get to know what our lives are like. In the last few months, I’ve produced stories about the transgender community, garbage-related problems in the city and the midday meal scheme.
Mani Manickem has produced
19 stories for us.
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A Different voice distinct from
democracy and Communusm ie.neocracy is requiredd with a voice of the 60% of the below poverty line,marginalised and the downtroden. The present caste system as well as the mejority/minority question should be washed away by an eaually distribution system. I have conceived an idea that can replace the present system effectively. The need of the present day is to create awareness among collage students especially girls having a vision of social justice. All the three pillars should work together or the legislature should have such a mejority.
Let us together think and work for setting goals, inspiring public, motivating the comon people and the working class bpl etc. Society is now totally under the influence of the devide and rule system generated by the democracy and communism. In Kerala even the Ldf with its CM and the CPM secretary itself divided each other and leading to streat fighting. The same may be at TN also along with other states and Congress and BJP.