Meanwhile, Sheetal had been working on and off projects involving transgenders and also dis-interestingly managing the family business of soap manufacturing. The Pehchan project gave Sheetal a chance to quit the family business and become part of a more meaningful programme, with the wholehearted support of her wife. Sheetal told me proudly: "My wife is a huge moral support in my life. She is very open minded about the whole issue. She takes up cudgels on my behalf with my family too. She gave me her sarees and jewellery to wear when I was coming here. She also helps me financially also when payment is delayed in my project. I think family support is very necessary. It is far more difficult to fight the family than the outside world."
Sheetal helps trans-kids to get educated. She does not want them to do toli badhai, but wants them to become economically independent. With financial support from the wife and few friends she has restarted the defunct family soap factory and employs only hijras. Currently they manufacture Neat Washing Powder, but hope to diversify to making incense sticks too - all with the sole purpose of generating employment for transgenders. She is also approaching other factories in Kanpur to absorb the 20-25 odd community members working for the Pehchan project, once the project comes to an end, so that they do not have to go back to begging.
She requests the families to accept their trans-kids and also requests the community to refrain from abusing and fighting and behave more responsibly in whatever field they work.
"In other countries transgenders have a respectable position in society. I want the same to happen in India."
Tamanna of Hyderabad was not much aware of the Supreme Court judgement, even though she got her voter identity card made in August 2014 under the category of third gender. She said that their immediate needs are housing and employment, but wondered who will solve their problems.
Urmila of Hyderabad is not educated but strongly believes that education is very necessary for everyone. Given a chance she would like to study once again if someone supports her. Even though she enjoys her life and has no regrets about it, she wants to be respected in society like anyone else. She was optimistic that the SC judgement would bring a perceptible difference in their lives, even though it might take some more time.
It was clear from each one of those I spoke with that the Pehchan project has given them a big pehchan (identity). It has sensitized the community at the grassroots level and even made those from the villages to stand up with dignity and demand what is rightfully theirs. They are increasingly wanting to leave their traditional occupations of begging and doing sex work and lead instead a life of dignity and respect. I am sure we can all help in our own small ways to let this become a reality.
Shobha Shukla, Citizen News Service (CNS)
(Shobha Shukla is the Managing Editor at Citizen News Service (CNS). Follow her on Twitter: @shobha1shukla)
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