Transgenders are leaving Tripura for better Future Why?

If you are a member of a marginalized community, chances are, elections are your best hope. Every vote fight ensures that, however fleeting, a politician will try to listen to you.But what if ‘you’ voting voters are less than 80 people across a state of over 3 million people? Will any politician care?This is the situation in which the transgenders community of Tripura finds itself.

While things have never been ideal for the community, the administration’s indifferent attitude following last year’s hate attacks means community members have no choice but to leave the state in search of a less hostile environment.

The horrors of 2022
Transgenders in Tripura acknowledge that the government has taken some positive steps for their welfare, but two incidents in the past year have completely shattered their faith in the system and society in general.

While one event is from January 2022, the other event is from October of the same year. In January, police detained four women and allegedly asked them to strip to prove their gender. The shocking incident created a massive reaction and rights activists registered an FIR against the policemen involved in the act. But nothing happened after that.
Then, in October, five transpersons were beaten up by an angry mob in Agartala city center on the night of the Durga Puja carnival. The angry mob took away their mobile phones and humiliated them in full public on account of their appearance and identity using gendered slurs. Again, no action was taken.
No wonder LGBTQ rights activists believe state government is indifferent to their rights. According to Swabhiman, an NGO working for transgender people in Tripura, the total number of people belonging to the LGBTQ community will be around 500. However, less than 80 transgender people have registered as voters.
“As per the instructions of the central government, every state should have a specially constituted board under the department of social welfare and social education. This board deals with the problems faced by the community at various levels and to provide justice to the needy. makes the necessary efforts. Unfortunately, the Tripura government has not yet formed a welfare board for transgender people,” Sneha Gupta Roy, Tripura’s LGBTQ rights activist, told to Media.
Roy admitted that the government had taken some steps to set up a welfare board, but added that it was in its nascent stage. “The Director of the Department of Social Welfare and Social Education has chaired several meetings to discuss the issues faced by the people of the LGBTQ community and the administrative structure of the proposed Welfare Board is also ready. But, being a government office. , certain procedures need to be followed, due to which the matter is getting delayed,” he said.
Highlighting the problems of his community, Roy said, “Tripura is not the only state where people from our community face discrimination. Almost all over the country we are treated badly. But in big cities it is like this. Society seems to have accepted our existence. We are not asking for any privileges, we only demand to be treated as human beings in every way. We have the right to enjoy the rights enshrined in the Indian Constitution.

Fearing such attacks, threats and lack of police action, Roy said many transgender people from Tripura have left the state in search of protection.
“Last year, two incidents took place that sent shockwaves through our community. Since then, people have been leaving the state and trying to settle in Tier-1 and metropolitan cities where transgender people have social acceptance. It is,” he said.
When asked how many people have left the state, Roy said, “I haven’t kept a count, but most of the people who helped me organize Tripura’s first Pride Walk have left the state. They are not here.” Want to stay because they don’t feel safe. They thought I would do something but I also have limits.

Opinion: Transgenders people feel lonely after coming out. “Today, I have no one living here in Agartala to help me put pressure on the government to meet our demands,” a sad Roy told to Media.
Media persons contacted a transgender man who had moved to Delhi permanently after the January incident. Mohini, a victim of police lockup torture, narrated her harrowing experience and said she would never go to Tripura again.
“I don’t think people in Tripura have any respect for trans people. This is a state where the police can abuse people just because they look different and are coming back from a late night party. We What to expect from society? In Delhi, you can find trans people working in reputed companies and institutions, pursuing higher education and shining in professional fields. In Tripura, any trans person is a cause of social bullying. Can’t get enough of that,” he said.
Welfare board on paper
On paper, Tripura is among the 12 Indian states said to be certified to have a Transgenders Welfare Board. According to the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, 12 states and union territories have constituted transgender welfare boards: Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Chandigarh, UP, Bihar, West Bengal, Tripura and Mizoram, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Dr Virendra Kumar told the Rajya Sabha on 10 December 2021.

“As per Section 10 (1) of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Rules, 2020, ‘A Welfare Board for the purpose of protecting the rights and interests of Transgender Persons and facilitating access to schemes by appropriate Govt. and welfare measures framed by the Govt. “All State Governments have been informed on 09.10.2020 about the rules for implementing the Act and taking necessary action as per the provisions,” Minister’s written reply. I was further told.

However, the reality in Tripura is very different.

When contacted, an official of the social welfare and social education department said, “As soon as the ministry’s directive reached us, a board was constituted. But there was no representation from people in the LGBTQ community. When this came out, some LGBTQ activists objected and we removed the body. The body will be constituted following all the rules and is awaiting formal approval from the minister. All paperwork and necessary approvals have been completed.
Requesting anonymity, the official also told to Media that the department faced severe embarrassment after the attacks on transgender women. “Corrective measures are underway. The police and social welfare departments are working to address these issues. The police have drawn up a code of conduct for officers dealing with cases where people from the community are involved. Workshops have also been conducted,” the official told to Media.