AHMEDABAD: The Railway Protection Force (RPF) has arrested 25 eunuchs for harassing and extorting money from travelers onboard trains connecting Ahmedabad to various places.
The eunuchs used to travel in groups of three and four, forcing passengers to give them money and in some cases even hassle passengers who refused. "There were two-three groups who used to operate on separate routes, intimidate travelers and extort Rs 10 to Rs 15 from each one of them," said a railway official.
Several complaints of extortion and harassment were lodged by passengers with the railway officials about eunuchs forcibly exacting money from passengers traveling in sleeper and three-tier AC coaches on routes of Delhi, Rajkot and Mumbai. They would board trains from in-between stations such as Mehsana, Viramgam and Nadiad.
After an extensive search launched by the RPF on many trains the accused were rounded up. This was the first such raid on eunuchs in the past five to six years.
In a proactive attempt at putting a stop to harassment of railway passengers by eunuchs, who go about extorting money on trains, the Kazipet Government Railway Police (GRP) organised a counselling session for the community on Thursday.
GRP SP Dr M Kantha Rao asked Eunuchs to give up the practice that amounted to 'extortion' and warned them against harassing railway passengers.
However, the problem appeared in need of deeper analysis when Divisional Commercial Manager (DCM) TVM Ravi Kumar and Kantha Rao both expressed helplessness on the question of suggesting alternative livelihoods for eunuchs.
At crossroads:Transgenders arriving at a counselling programme organised by the Kazipet Railway Police in Warangal on Thursday.- Photo: M. Murali
The Railways Superintendent of Police, M Kantha Rao, has warned transgenders (hijras) against causing inconvenience and harassing passengers travelling in trains.
At a special counselling programme held for the hijras at Kazipet here on Thursday, the SP said he was forced to conduct the session in view of increased complaints from the passengers that they were resorting to forcible collection of money and causing untold misery with their peculiar acts.
Addressing a huge gathering of hijras, Mr. Kantha Rao said they would deal sternly with the erring persons.
“The Indian railways will not allow anyone board a train or come on to platform without ticket. You must not move in the trains seeking money from the passengers and attacking the innocent passengers,” he told them.
Speaking on behalf of the community, Laila and Goutami said they were not harassing any passengers. They were only forced to beg due to lack of opportunities to make a decent living.
They in turn alleged that the railway police were booking false cases against them and collecting heavy penalties. They said the money they earn begging would often go to payment of fines as sometimes four to five cases are booked against one hijra. “Sometimes the penalty is Rs. 2,500. How can we pay such an amount when we do not earn that much even begging the whole day,” they said.
They said they would stop begging if they were provided any employment by the officials and plan a better way of living.
Responding to their pleas, Mr. Kantha Rao said that he would consult the district administration and explore possibilities to provide an alternate means of earning for the hijras. The SP gave away Rs. 7,000 financial assistance to a society run by the hijras.
Railways Divisional Manager Ravinder, Kazipet DSP K. Dakshina Murthy and others were present.
March 20th, 2011 by Jonit In Mumbai last summer, Michelle and I twice ran into hijras, or eunuchs, as they’re referred to in English…once while stopped at a red light in an auto-rickshaw and the other on a train. When they walked up to our auto-rickshaw, they were begging for money and wouldn’t leave until we gave it to them. Saying no didn’t have any effect. We ended up giving them some coins. We also gave some money to the hijras we encountered on the train and asked if we could take their picture, which, as you can see, came out pretty well.
s extortion of money by them legal? Also Section 96,97,102,105 and 106 of IPC give us privilege to use these pepper sprays for self-defense and we can safely call this act for self-defense when one tries to extort money which are not really harmful with long term effects but are enough to teach these eunuchs a lesson.
In below, you can see Bangalore City Commissioner of Police has expressed his opinion on usage of Pepper Sprays.
I was suggesting pepper spray for those who extort and not to those who beg.
Anyways these are my personal views and i am deterred to follow this in future if in case i meet such character(s) trying to extort at either traffic signal or at some other place.
According to Alari News, four Kuwaiti transgender people in Salmiya mall attracted the attention of the mall customers, particularly women, who noticed their feminine mannerisms but suspected they were men. The customers reported the group to the local police who promptly arrived and were led to the group who were in a women’s clothes shop. The police waited until they left the shop and asked for their IDs which disclosed their gender as men. A “security soruce” said that the police proceeded to arrest and took them to the “Ethical Investigation Department” to take against them criminal proceedings. GME has noticed that Kuwaiti media has been reporting on these incidents lately (probably as the media is much freer than in other GCC countries). Such an incident highlights the daily transphobia transgender people can and do face in Gulf.
Kuwaiti LGBT activists have been complaining this is a common recurrence in Kuwait, especially over the past four years. The amount reported in the rather transphobic Kuwaiti media dwarfs in comparison to the unreported cases of harassment and/or arrest of transgender people, according to the activists.
http://alraimedia.com/Alrai/Article.aspx?id=281106&date=12062011 أحيل 4 «نواعم» على إدارة مكافحة الآداب اثر ضبطهم في منطقة السالمية بالزي النسائي. النواعم الاربعة والذين كانوا يرتدون الزي النسائي ويتجولون في احد المجمعات التجارية في منطقة السالمية اشتبه فيهم بعض مرتادي السوق، وخاصة النساء اللاتي لاحظن ان حركاتهم كانت تفتعل الانوثة، فأبلغوا عمليات وزارة الداخلية، لينتقل الى الموقع رجال دوريات اسناد حولي، وبمجرد وصولهم الى الموقع واتصالهم على احد المبلغين ارشدهم الى «النواعم» في أحد محال الألبسة النسائية في المجمع التجاري، وانتظرهم رجال الأمن حتى خرجوا، وتم طلب هوياتهم، حيث اتضح لرجال الأمن انهم شبان متشبهون بالنساء. وافاد مصدر امني ان «رجال الدوريات ألقوا القبض عليهم واقتاداوهم الى الادارة العامة للمباحث الجنائية، وتم تسليمهم الى ادارة مباحث الاداب، وجارٍ اتخاذ مايلزم بحقهم».
New Human Rights Watch report highlights abuse against Kuwait transgender people since 2007
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Kuwaiti police have been torturing and sexually abusing transgender women continually since 2007, claims a report released by Human Rights Watch yesterday.
The most recent case of police violence was reported on 7 January, where three transgender women were brutally detained. Gay Middle East has also been reporting on this continual abuse and the rise of transphobia in general throughout Kuwait following the introduction of a discriminatory law in 2007 (amendment to article 198) that arbitrarily criminalizes ‘imitating the opposite sex’ in Kuwait.
Following the introduction of the amendment to article 198 of the Kuwaiti Penal Code police have been given a free hand to ‘determine’ whether a person’s appearance constitutes ‘imitating the opposite sex’ without any specific criteria being laid down for the offense.
These reports, by Human Rights Watch and Gay Middle East, reveal how transgender women (individuals born male but identify as female) suffer daily persecution, physical, sexual, and emotional abuse both at the hands of the police and the public at large.
Speaking with Gay Middle East, a transgender Kuwaiti activist pleaded: 'The situation in Kuwait is horrible for us, just intolerable. There are at least 13 transgender women in jail right now.’
She said her friends have been abused physically, emotionally and at times sexually. She also noted that blackmail for sex and money was commonplace. In addition she stated that Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, the Prime Minister of Kuwait, was approached by human rights activists and when he was shown a list of transgender prisoners he claimed they were arrested for ‘other offences’ and denied the whole issue. Attempts to interview the prisoners were also denied by the Kuwaiti authorities.
Human Rights Watch documented that transgender individuals were being arrested even when they were wearing male clothes, only later to be forced by police to dress in women’s clothing, who claimed that they arrested them in that attire.
In some cases documented by Human Rights Watch, transgender women said police arrested them because they had a ‘soft voice’ or ‘smooth skin’.
Despite an official recognition of gender identity disorder (GID) by the Kuwaiti Ministry of Health as a legitimate medical condition, the law criminalising ‘imitating the opposite sex’ makes no exception for people who have been diagnosed with GID. In fact there have been cases where papers have been presented to the police and were ignored.
Gay Middle East has called on the government of Kuwait to immediately start proceedings to repeal amendment to article 198 criminalising ‘imitating the opposite sex’. They want the government to halt the arrests and harassment of transgender individuals and free all individuals detained by the police. They are also calling for an investigation into the alleged police brutality and protect transgender individuals.
Al-Watan published last week (2.5.11) a trasnphobic article under the title: 'Transgenders create havoc in a ladies salon". Apparently two transgenders who entered a ladies salon to have a professional make-up were not welcomed among the customers, who screamed and shouted at them. As soon as the lady owner of the salon realised their sexual identity she ordered them to leave the premises immediately. Upon insisting that all they want is a professional make-up for their night out and are willing to pay any price, the lady owner did not comply with their request and informed the police. Realising the danger and hostility, the transgenders ran for their lives before the police arrived at the premises.
Apparently the police filed in their record of the incident at the Andalusia police station (area in Kuwait city).
The manner in which Al-Watan wrote the article was transphobic, in that that it stressed that the transgender "caused or provoked the responses" rather than being provoked by some of the customers.
The comments that were left by readers were mostly extremely transphobic and homophobic, some calling to kill transgender people. For example:
"she should have told them to sit while they serve them & tell the other ladies to lock the door from outside so they can't run and the police would've caught them! May God punish these transgenders and the diseases they bring to us, all they bring is God's wrath...."
"was everyone blind except the salon ladies? how did they let them enter the place, were the security guards blind or something?"
"If I were her I would have slashed their bodies through their stomachs and finish by giving them the middle finger"
If anything it was the transphobia of the clients, owner, and Al-Watan that provokes such reactions rather than the transgender who simply wanted to be treated like any other client and all they got is abuse and threats.
GME has noticed that Kuwaiti media has been reporting on these incidents lately (probably as the media is much freer than in other GCC countries). Such an incident highlights the daily transphobia transgender people can and do face in Gulf.
‘They hunt us down for fun’ – Police accused of transgender torture, sexual assault
KUWAIT: Nadim Houry, talking at a HRW press conference yesterday held at Le Royal Hotel. Sitting beside him is Rasha Moumneh.—Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat
KUWAIT: Arbitrary arrest, detention, torture and sexual assaults on transgender persons have increased in Kuwait during the last four years, says the Human Rights Watch (HRW). Transgender ‘women’ are individuals who are born male but identify themselves as female. “They hunt us down for fun” was the title of a HRW report on the issue of transgender, launched at the Le Royal Hotel yesterday.
Nadim Houry, HRW Middle East and North Africa Deputy Director, slammed authorities for using Article 198 of the amended 2007 law to arrest, abuse and persecute a transgender. The 63-page report bears documents and testimonies by transgender women victimized by Kuwaiti police since 2008.
“The law has been a huge enabling factor to arrest and abuse members of the transgender. It is like giving a green light to authorities, not only to police but even members of society, to arrest and torture transgender persons and use force and impunity against them.”
According to Houry, the frequency of torture and abuses against the transgendered has definitely increased to a tremendous level in the past four years. “Just before amending the law, we did not see such a huge number of abuses against transgender,” he added. HRW slammed Kuwaiti police for torturing and sexually abusing transgender women and called on the Gulf state to hold officers accountable.
“Our key recommendations are clear, we want the authorities here to investigate the torture, sexual assault and ill-treatment of detainees and prosecute those responsible in accordance with the law,” Al-Houry mentioned citing the content of the report.
“We want Kuwait to ensure that until its repeal (of amended 2007 law) the law is not applied to anyone who has been diagnosed with gender identity disorder,” the report added. Rasha Moumneh, HRW researcher, read out summary reports of about 40 transgender women who were arrested, harassed and abused by Kuwaiti police.
Transgender women reported that sexual assault they endured at the hands of policemen includes touching, groping, rape and blackmailing them into non-consensual sex by threatening to arrest them if they did not comply.
Transgender women have also reported degrading and humiliating treatment by police, which includes being forced to strip and parade around a police station, being forced to dance for officers, sexual humiliation and verbal intimidation. According to Moumneh, a common complaint among transgender women is police blackmail for sex under threat of arrest. One of the testimonies read was the case of Rima, 27, who admitted to virtually being a sex slave during college days.
“In October 2009 I passed a checkpoint right outside my university gate. I got scared of course and turned back, but the policeman got suspicious. I stayed on campus for five hours until I was sure that the checkpoint moved. The next day I saw the same police officer. When I was walking towards my car, he stopped me and asked for my ID. I gave it to him, and immediately the sexual harassment started. He forced me to take off my top so he could see my breast, right in the middle of the parking lot. When I told him he had no right to treat me that way, he said “either you take my number and meet me for sex or I will take you to prison.” To avoid arrest and torture, Rima accepted the offer from the police officer and was enslaved for the rest of college, the testimony says.
Transgender women reported being arrested even when they were wearing male clothing and then later being forced by police to dress in women’s clothing. In some cases documented by Human Rights Watch, transgender women said police arrested them because they had a “soft voice” or “smooth skin.” Sarah Leah Whitson, HRW’s Middle East Director, noted in a statement that “No one-regardless of his or her gender identity-deserves to be arrested on the basis of a vague, arbitrary law and then abused and tortured by police.” “The Kuwaiti government has a duty to protect all of its residents, including groups who face popular disapproval, from brutal police behavior and the application of an unfair law,” she said in a statement.
A man claiming to belong to a UP-based political party walks into gay party with cops in tow, threatens, humiliates attendees as cops remain silent spectators
In yet another incident of the disruption of a party organised by queer groups, a fundraiser for the January 28 Queer Azadi Pride March held in a suburban lounge was interrupted on account of a baseless complaint.
Haji Ahmed Sahab entered the Gossip fundraising party being held at a lounge in Oshiwara on Friday, and began to threaten the venue manager and the 270 attendees. Four policemen in uniform, and one in plainclothes accompanied him.
(From left to right) Vivek Anand, Pallav Patankar and Ashok Row Kavi condemn the disruption of the party at a press conference
Claiming affiliation to a national political party, Ahmed incorrectly asserted that his organisation had filed a stay order against the 2009 Delhi High Court judgement which decriminalised homosexuality. He reportedly told the attendees that they were indulging in illegal activities and threatened to expose their identity to the media if they didn't leave the premises immediately.
Gossip is a queer party organising group started by Sibi and Namrata (who only go by their first names) that has conducted 10 parties in popular suburban clubs in the past year. Acting on Ahmed's complaint, the police checked the premises and the venue's permits, and found everything to be above board.
Party ends, organiser courts arrest Despite this, however, the venue manager asked the attendees to leave after Ahmed reportedly threatened to file a complaint against the lounge for allowing the party to be held.
Haji Ahmed Sahab who threatened the party attendees. Pic/Shadab Khan
Enraged at Ahmed's haranguing, Humsafar Trust CEO Vivek Anand, and Director, HIV/AIDS programme for the Humsafar Trust Pallav Patankar, party organiser Sibi and media professional Praful (who did not wish to reveal his surname), who were among the attendees at the party, went to the Oshiwara police station at 3 am and asked the cops to arrest them if they were indulging in illegal activities.
"We were told that our actions were perfectly constitutional, and that they had no basis to arrest us," said Anand.
"While the police has the right to act on a complaint, we are against them being silent spectators to our harassment. Ahmed barged into a private party, took videos and intimidated the attendees by threatening to expose them to the media, and calling their actions illegal. He acted like a goon in front of the cops, and they didn't stop him," Anand added.
Eyewitness accounts According to Prateek, one of the several attendees present at the party, Ahmed took videos and threatened attendees that he would expose them by calling the media to the venue. "Ahmed kept saying he had pictures and videos as 'proof'. I don't understand -- proof of what? Being gay is no longer a crime." After the party was brought to a halt, a group of incensed attendees gheraoed Ahmed's car.
Misinformed social 'activism' When contacted, Ahmed defended his actions and said, "I'm not against gay people, I am against prostitution. This party took place in a dark room. I am against bad practices in society." When asked what connection lay between a fundraiser party and prostitution, Ahmed was unable to offer a rational explanation.
"Intercourse between men before Section 377 was unnatural. After Section 377, it has become natural (sic)," he replied. Ahmed filed a complaint against the partygoers, saying that they damaged his car when he was trying to leave the venue.
The self-proclaimed activist said he belonged to a UP-based political organisation, Rashtriya Ulama Council. When Sunday MiD DAY got in touch with their Maharashtra president, Sayyed Nooruddin Aftab, to enquire whether the organisation supported Ahmed's actions, Aftab said, "The man is a fraud. He is no longer part of our organisation. He joined us in 2010, but didn't do a single day's work."
Complaint filed The party organisers filed a written complaint on Saturday at the Oshiwara police station against Ahmed, stating that he harassed, humiliated and tortured the attendees.
"We went to examine the licences of the venue, acting on a complaint by (Ahmed). We found they were in order. We were not targeting the attendees," said a policeman of the Oshiwara police station, who did not wish to be named.
CHENNAI: The sleuths of Anti-Vice Squad on Saturday arrested three persons, including two transgenders, who posed as women and solicited men by sending mails to random email ids, following a tip-off by a software engineer.
Police said Satish (name changed), a techie from Arumbakkam, had received the email that offered escort services by women.
He then called a mobile phone number mentioned in the email when a person, who spoke in a woman’s voice, said she and her friend were working in a private company and he could avail their services for Rs 15,000.
The engineer, who promised that he would turn up at a spot on Poonamallee High Road, alerted the Anti-Vice Squad. When they reached the spot, two ‘women’, dressed in glamorous outfits, arrived on an auto.
The engineer then passed on the money to them and took them inside his car when he found that they were not women but transgenders. The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC)� sleuths, who were watching, nabbed the transgenders Shabbu Sheik (25) and Heena (27) of Namasivayapuram, Choolaimedu. Police also nabbed auto driver Loganathan (34). Police said that transgenders were involved in similar incidents earlier and had been extorting money from gullible people. Police said they charged them under IPC sections 420 (Cheating) and 506 (1) (Criminal intimidation) and also under 41, 51A of Immoral Traffic (Prevention) act.
Police said the transgenders in the city are now adopting a new trend of sending e-mails to random e-mail ids to solicit customers for flesh trade.
Held in Similar Case Police said Shabbu Sheik was earlier arrested in a similar case when she posed as a woman and solicited a software engineer, robbed his jewellery and forced him to withdraw cash from an ATM. “In most cases, the affected person would not volunteer to give a complaint to us,” a police official said.
150 Transgenders in NungambakkamPolice said they were around 150 transgenders involved in prostitution in and around Nungambakkam and police are keeping a watch on them.
CRIMAL Eunuchs Gangs clash each other for ADDA & Money at fight it out in Vastrapur ??
AHMEDABAD: A fight for territorial dominance pitted two eunuch groups against each other in the city on Thursday. Both groups accused each other of trespassing into their jurisdiction. One group has filed a police complaint for physical assault.
According to Vastrapur police, the incident took place at 12.30 pm on Thursday as a group led by Renuka De, 32, a resident of Garibnagar, Behrampura, went to various shops in Vastrapur and began demanding money. When the other group, led by Rafaqat Husain alias Nitu De, a resident of Delhi Chakla, came to know about it, they rushed to the spot in an autorickshaw and started arguing with them.
"The incident took place at the Ganesh temple near Vastrapur lake. Both the groups staked claim over the area and asked the other group to leave. However, Nitu De's group had come prepared with swords, knives, hockey sticks and lathis. They soon launched an attack and beat up five or six of the other group's members. They then got hold of Renuka De and cut her hair, which is considered to be an abuse for the eunuchs," said a police official. The group also filed a complaint of loot of cash and gold ornaments worth Rs 32,000 from the spot.
After the incident, police have begun a search for the assailants. City police said Renuka De has also been assaulted earlier in Naroda. "There are factions in the city that believe that the eunuchs involved in the incident are not 'real' and are in the business for money. Earlier, the Sanju Masi versus Sonia De rivalry in the eunuch trade saw Sonia getting killed last year," said the official.BOX
Who will be the ultimate queen?
Eunuchs enjoy a thriving business in the city as an average eunuch can earn up to Rs 15,000 per day with proper legwork and if targeting grand functions. Such functions are generally held in the western city parts and thus areas such as Satellite, Vastrapur, Navrangpura, Prahladnagar and Sola are always a matter of dispute amongst the groups.
According to police officials, whoever controls that pie controls two thirds of the eunuch society due to high returns. Earlier, Sonia De reigned over the area with money and muscle power after fighting with Sanju Masi. Sanju Masi got burnt earlier last year and was out of business as leader. After Sonia De got killed, the race for the top spot in the business has further heated up.
"This marriage season was actually a surprise for the organizers as none of the eunuch groups ventured out in highly lucrative times. The reason was power struggle going on inside larger factions such as Sonia De's. With players such as Bhavna De and Nitu De around, we don't rule out possibility of a large scale turf war in near future," said a senior police official.
In a battle for control of western Ahmedabad, more than 10 eunuchs led by their leader, Nitu De of Delhi Chakla area, attacked another group near Vastrapur lake on Thursday afternoon. The second group works for another eunuch gang led by Bhavna De.
According to a complaint filed with the Vastrapur police, the eunuch leader, Nitu De aka Raju aka Rafakat Hussain, attacked a group of eunuchs near Vastrapur lake at around 1 pm on Thursday. Nitu De, a resident of Sajjan Jamadar Mohalla in Delhi Chakla area, arrived with more than 15 people, including some eunuchs and goons, and stopped two autos near Ganesh temple.
Renuka Pavaiya, 32, and some other eunuchs of western Ahmedabad were travelling in the auto-rickshaws.
In her complaint, Renuka, a resident of Baherampura in Jamalpur locality, has alleged that Nitu and her accomplices pulled them out of their autos and beat them up with hockey sticks. Renuka was travelling with 5 other eunuchs - Roma, Komal, Hansa, Shilpa and Khushi - when the incident occurred.
However, Nitu De says that it was she and two of her members who were attacked by Renuka and her eunuchs.
“We didn't attack them; it was they who stabbed two of our group's members, Khushbu and Chandni. Both were attacked with sharp knives and injured badly. We took them to VS Hospital for treatment after the incident," said Nitu De, who has also filed cross-complaint in the incident.
It is believed that Nitu De and one Bhavna De are fighting to become the next eunuch queen of the city. Vastrapur police have registered a complaint against Nitu De and 10 of her gang members.
AHMEDABAD: After a group clash between two groups of eunuchs for supremacy in western city parts on Thursday, Vastrapur police arrested a total of nine eunuchs from both the groups on the basis of cross-complaints and have started investigation of the case. The arrests created a stir within the eunuch community which turned up in large number at the police station. According to Vastrapur police station officials, the incident took place on Thursday afternoon when a group led by Renuka De went to various shops in Vastrapur and started demanding money. When the other group, led by Rafaqat Husain alias Nitu De, a resident of Delhi Chakla, came to know about it, they rushed to the spot in an autorickshaw and started arguing with them. An armed scuffle took place between the two groups after which cross-complaints were filed.
"While Renuka De, member of Bhavna De group, filed a complaint against Nitu de and 12 others, Chandni De of Nitu De group filed a complaint of assault against Bhavna De and four others. Working on the complaints, we arrested Renuka De, Ghazala De, Khushboo De, Chandni De, Rani De, Jaya De, Kamini De, Shaba De and Nitu De on Friday. The procedure to record their statements is on. The injured have been sent to hospitals for treatment," said a Vastrapur police official. Officials said that they are yet to understand the dynamics of the eunuch world. "They would not name their own group members or indulge in inter-group politics. We are working out to know who all are involved and who started the incident," said the official.
MUMBAI: A week before the city's lesbian, gay, transgender community celebrates its annual 'Pride Week', a dinner party at an Oshiwara Hotel to raise funds was targeted by a local political party worker. Haji Ahmed Sahab, who claims to be a worker of the Nationalist Congress Party, said that he was tipped off that "unlawful" activities were going on in the party so raided the premises with the police. However, the police stated that there was no illegal activity in the party so they decided not to take any action against the organizers.
Gay rights activists present at the party said that trouble started on the night of January 13, 2011, when activist Ahmed gate-crashed into a private party organized in the hotel.
"Ahmed first entered the party as a guest and was video recording the people without their consent," said Vivek Anand, CEO of Humsafar. "Later we came to know that he was not a guest and that he was accompanied with police from the Oshiwara police station."
"He told us that his party has filed a petition against the 2nd July 2009 Delhi high court judgment that decriminalised homosexuality. He threatened that a case would be lodged under section 377 of the IPC. He kept insisting that music be shut down and that it was illegal to hold a gay party in India," said activist Pallav Patankar. "While all this was happening the police was a silent spectator and did nothing to stop him."
The party was shut down though all permissions were in place, claimed the activists. Subsequently, they approached the Oshiwara police. "Police told us they were acting on a complaint filed by Ahmad," said Patankar. The police also registered a non cognizable complaint by Ahmad that his car had been damaged.
When contacted by TOI, Ahmed said, "We are not against the community. Our objection was that they provide 'dark room' in such parties to promote prostitution so we informed the police about it. The police should investigate about it." Ahmad said that he was office bearer of a human rights organization and was associated with a minorities' council.
Senior police inspector of Oshiwara police station Dilip Rupwate said, "We checked the premises on Ahmed's complaint but found nothing objectionable. We closed the matter considering it as a minor incident and will enquire about it if someone approaches us with complaint."
LGBT groups expressed outrage and are now planning to approach the police against Ahmad. "We are planning to lodge a complaint against Ahmed who caused harassment, trauma and mental torture to over 250 innocent human beings who had come to support a community cause and the Pride Walk on January 28," said Ashok Row Kavi, founder of Humsafar and President of the Integrated Network for Sexual Minorities (INFOSEM).
Puja Bagga, a resident of GK I, whose brother-in-law got married last November, shares, “I was taken aback when a group of eunuchs demanded laptops instead of the traditional gifts. We had to purchase three Toshiba laptops for them.”
Najma and her party got Blackberry Torch phones from a Vohra family in Panchsheel Park. “Ab hum saara din BBM pe baat kar sakte hain (now, we all chat with each other all day through BBM),” she says.
Another eunuch, Kajal got an iPad at the wedding of an NRI’s daughter in Kailash Colony. “I had to pay a student to teach me how to use it. All my friends are going gaga over it,” she says. Kajal now teaches other eunuchs to make the most of the newly gained knowledge.
High-tech gifts also mean serious business for some. Saira (name changed on request), a eunuch who’s a sex worker, earlier went to a cyber café to solicit clients through Facebook. But ever since she demanded a laptop at a wedding in Sainik Farm, life’s become far easier. “I’m connected all the time now. I keep blessing the Chauhans for the gift,” she says.
But not everyone relents to such demands. Ram Dulari Gulyani from East of Kailash turned down the demand for a high-end home theatre system from eunuchs at her son Vijay Gulyani’s wedding. “It was ridiculous. I negotiated with them and sent them away with cash,” she says.
Shashi Bhushan, a project coordinator from gay rights NGO Naaz, says, “It shows that the kinnar community is progressing with the times. They are aware of the advantages of being well-versed with technology.”
Laxmi Narayan Tripathi, 32-year-old transgender activist is working at an alliance with the country's well known artistes to produce a show that has been ‘unimaginable' until now.
Not one to shy away from breaking traditions to make them more humane or forging new ties to make inclusive development a reality, Laxmi is in talks with senior Indian artists to organise the extravaganza.
A vocal advocate for equal rights for the transgender community, Laxmi says, “Of course it is a bold step forward to ascertain our identity. The idea of this cultural programme is to bring to the forefront the co-existence of the hizra community in our society, to give a face to this section of people who are often more talked about than talked for,'' said Laxmi.
“Though the details of the scale, scope and reach of the programme are yet to be worked out, we hope that such an assertion of our right to live a life of dignity will help our larger cause,'' added Laxmi who is no stranger to challenges. She was one of the first to go public with her ‘story' and has devoted herself to the welfare of the transgender community for over a decade now.
She was a member of the United Nations Civil Society Task Force on HIV/AIDS in 2008 and is a founding member of the Asia Pacific Transgendered Network; and chairperson of Astitiva a non-government organisation involved in working for welfare of transgender community.
Laxmi who most recently participated in the popular reality show Big Boss “to highlight and sensitise the general public about the fact that transgender are normal human beings'', has also participated in other reality shows including ‘Sach Ka Saamna' and ‘Raaz Pichle Janam Ka.'
“Reaching out to the general public through television is important. Putting a face to the transgender community I think allows people to react with more humanity. After seeing me on Big Boss I think a lot of people now understand that behind all the talk and makeup we are nothing more than just regular people,'' says Laxmi.
Stating that the transgender community is a group of very visible people who are deliberately and conveniently kept invisible by society, Laxmi says: ``This is the most hurtful fact of our life that we live with every second. Imagine being ridiculed, abused, and rejected by society over and over. Imagine the fear that accompanies us through every thought, action and desire and then imagine the desperation of this all.''
“Our gender ensures that we are usually kept away from schools, colleges, social gatherings, religious functions, the election process or even having a say in Government policies made for our welfare. Every day my basic constitutional rights are taken away and no one gets punished for it. The society has learned to use and throw us. Though several policies and people claim that they accept us, it does not truly reflect in spirit,'' points out Laxmi.
“A good example of this discrimination is our medical health system. We have almost no access to quality drugs. Allocation of funds to help us is practically non existent and worse there is no political will to bring about any positive change. Raising these issues with the Government is next on our agenda. We not only want a normal life of dignity, we also want to live with the rights that the Constitution of India guarantees to us as citizens, because we are that first, our gender comes later,'' states Laxmi.
“And this cultural extravaganza is a step in that direction to make people realise that music, dance, drama, poetry is also our way of expressing our joys, sorrows, desires, dreams and ambitions. We hope that through this venture we are able build bridges and form some lasting friendships,'' adds Laxmi.
The country may see the first-of-its-kind transgender cultural extravaganza this year.
We are citizens first, our gender comes later. We hope that through this venture we are able to build bridges and form some lasting friendships: Laxmi
