Relevance: Sociology: Poverty, deprivation and inequalities: Gender Inequalities
Context
Struggling to survive during an unexpected and unprecedented lockdown, members of the community use their strong social networks to help themselves and others.
Members of the transgender community were left stunned when Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a sudden lockdown to contain COVID-19 on March 24. A significant number from the community are dependent on daily income to help them get by. The lockdown and the resultant social boycott that came their way has only increased a sense of fear among the community. Relief measures undertaken by the state government and support of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and political parties have ensured that they have managed to survive the lockdown.
The community has received praise for extending relief to the members of their neighbourhood who are struggling for food. Their strong networks played a vital role in ensuring the availability of relief measures for the disadvantaged.
Social Exclusion Continues’
The number of transgender persons infected by the novel coronavirus is less than a handful, but the community continues to face social stigma. “When we visit shops for medicines or other essentials, people feel awkward. It seems as if they believe that transgender persons are responsible for spreading the disease, whereas the truth is the exact opposite,” Sowmiya added.
Those that had undergone sexual reassignment surgery are also affected due to a lack of healthy food. People who have undergone the surgery need nutritious food for at least 40 days. With the lockdown coming out of the blue and choking their sources of income, they are suffering a lot and it may affect their health in the future as well.
In spite of their own suffering, the community has stood up in extending relief to the affected people in their neighbourhood. They even shared relief materials that they received with people left with no income during the lockdown.
‘Community Extends Relief’
Eleven Muslim families from Andhra Pradesh had been stranded in the Porur region. Called ‘Fakirs’, they earn their living from visiting shops and performing puja. Close to 40 members of these families, who did not have identity cards to receive relief measures, received help from the community.
Keerthana, a transgender person who works as sanitary supervisor in Puducherry, has been doing her bit to feed the sanitation workers. “Transgender persons from Porur asked us to help the stranded people in their neighbourhood. With the help of patrons we managed to distribute rations and other essentials to them,” added Srijith.
The marginalised section of the society struggles to survive the lockdown while continuing to face social stigma. Trans-men, in a minority within the community, need more attention from the government on welfare measures. The expansion of training for self employment, reservations in employment by the government and changing the public perception of the community are the need of the hour to help the community cope with the unprecedented situation.
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