Lockdown pushes victims of ‘social distancing’ to brink of starvation
Bhubaneswar: The Covid-19 outbreak and the consequent lockdown have multiplied the struggles and challenges faced by the transgender community, long relegated to the margins of society. With livelihood opportunities lost because of the restrictions on movement, members of the transgender community said their plight was not being highlighted at all.
“Most members of the community live hand to mouth, and depend on daily earnings to see them through. For the past one month, our income has dwindled to zero. Help from NGOs and other organisations, initially robust, has now thinned to a trickle. While the government has announced so many measures for everyone, why are we invisible to it?” shared Menaka Kinnar, president of Third Gender Surakshya Trust, now busy arranging food and other essentials for at least 60 transgender people living in different slums in the city.
Most transgenders eke out a living by begging at traffic lights and on trains, through prostitution or by performing at different social and religious functions. In the wake of the lockdown, all avenues of employment have closed.
“I would collect money from truck drivers at a toll gate and earn around Rs 300 to Rs 500 each day. The lockdown has made it impossible for us to step out, even though trucks are running. At the free kitchen here, people make fun of us and pass lewd remarks,” said Radha Kinnar, a transwoman of Pitapalli. She alleged that only those having ration cards were getting the free rice and other benefits offered by the government. Of the 12,000 transgenders in the state, only 3,000 hold ration cards.
“I don’t have a ration card so I am not getting anything from the government. Some NGO people gave me food but it was too little. I am not able to visit the hospital to collect medicines or to get a health check-up done,” said Sonali, a 32-year-old transwoman who lives in Bharatpur here.
“We are managing with whatever we have, whatever is given by friends and well-wishers. But it’s getting increasingly difficult to make do,” said Meera Parida, chairman of All Odisha Transgender Welfare Trust and a leading transgender activist.
Many transgender persons in the state are HIV positive and on medication, making them vulnerable to Covid-19 as well. “We tried to arrange medicine for many with the help of NGOs but those in rural areas must be facing problems,” said Meghna Sahoo, another city-based transwoman.
In spite of their own precarious existence, transgender persons have come forward to create awareness about coronavirus, said Pratap Sahu, president of Odisha Eunuch and Third-gender Association.
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