'That’s when I started empathising with them...'

Transgenders in India | by Dr Gariyali, IAS.,

Well, this is an inspirational feature, from the women’s supplement along with today’s ‘Dinamani’, a renowned Tamil Newspaper.

This article by Mr. Chandramouli, I’m sure, would be immensely useful for those of us involved in Transgender Studies!

I’ve attempted a translation of just a few salient points from this article, for the benefit of a wider reading audience.

So here goes the article, in English -

Transgender in India: Achievers and Survivors: An Ode to Transwomen by Dr Gariyali CK and Priyadarshini Rajkumar.

Gariyali, a native of Kashmir, was born and raised in Delhi. Having done her Masters in Social Work from the Delhi School of Social Work, and her PhD from the Mother Teresa Women’s University, she retired recently, after having shouldered various important responsibilities as an IAS Officer.

She has also held the responsibility of Additional Chief Secretary of Tamil Nadu.

Dr Gariyali has been giving special importance to the advancement of near our transgenders.

Q: What made you develop a compassion towards transgenders?

In Old Delhi, in the area where we resided, there lived a transgender by name Abu Hassan. She used to relate with all of us with such warmth and friendship.

She would also help us all in various possible ways. In the year 1957 she left for Pakistan. And in the year 2000, when I heard of her passing away, my heart became very heavy with sorrow.

Moreover, a relative of mine in Kashmir by name Lakshmi, once she sensed masculine changes in her body, went all the way to Mumbai and changed her name to Lakshmikanth, after undergoing a surgery.

Having been touched beyond measure by the love and affection of Abu during my childhood, and after witnessing the story of how Lakshmi became Lakshmikanth, I could easily empathise and relate to the trials and tribulations that the transgenders undergo in their lives.

That’s when I started empathising with them, and began helping them in all possible ways.

Q: When you were MD of the Tamil Nadu Corporation For Development of Women, there was a widespread commotion when you had appointed two transgenders?

Yes! When I was MD of the Tamil Nadu Corporation For Development of Women between 2001 and 2004, one fine day, two transgenders met me, and said with tears in their eyes,

‘We both have spent thousands of rupees to change ourselves into women, but many do not recognise and accept us as women’.

I was so deeply saddened to see their plight. Right then, there were two posts lying vacant for Group IV workers in our Corporation.

So I appointed both of them to the two temporary positions there. Both of them were so happy. They proceeded to do their work with enthusiasm and cheerfulness.

At one point of time, I was transferred to another posting. Then, after the Tsunami happened, I was deputed to oversee the relief measures.

After a few years when I enquired of the transgenders, I heard that, right after I was transferred, they too were removed from their temporary postings. This news filled me with great sorrow. I tried contacting them many times after that, but failed in all my attempts.

Q: Could you tell us about your book on Transgenders?

The injustice meted out to those two transgenders continued to haunt and hurt me very much.

Well, I am of the firm opinion that, both the government and the society should empathise with, and also exercise great compassion on the transgenders.

Hence it was, that I wanted to bring out the problems of the transgenders, and emphasise on the importance of treating them with compassion.

Added, I also wanted to record for posterity the achievements of the transgenders in various walks of life. This, I believed, would bring about a positive change in the minds of the people.

With this in mind, I began to meet up with many transgenders. I went about gathering a lot of authentic information on them. This book is based on those experiences.

My daughter Priyadarshini, a graduate in Fine Arts, who later went on to do her Management Programme in Australia, has co-authored this book along with me. She has great interest in Social service.

This book has been published through the trust that we run. The proceeds from the sales of this book would also go towards social causes.

To be continued… 

Sunil Runs Off with ‘Champak’ 😍

05 December 1994 | HSC Days 

This day | 27 years ago...

#memoriesfromdiaries 💛

Alarm Clock

Today, I woke up sharp at 4 am to the chiming of the good old analogue alarm clock – and then, started studying in right earnest for my Chemistry Practical Exam that was scheduled for us for the day!

Table Lamp

The first thing we usually did, on waking up, was to turn off the alarm clock and then to turn on the table lamp – those gooseneck lamps of yore - and start reading by the focused rays of the table lamp’s yellowy lights of yore!

These table lamps were a real blessing to us back then, since they didn’t disturb the deep darkness of the dormitory and the sleep of fellow hostellers as well!

Competition for the Day’s Newspaper

Since our cubicle was given just one copy of the day’s Newspaper – ‘The Hindu’, there was a gentle competition of sorts - between Sai Kumar and me - on who would get to read the newspaper first! Today he got it!

Today’s News Headlines

‘DSP, 2 Others Abducted by Veerappan Gang?’ – When Sai read out this news headline, there were some innocuous guffaws all around! (how naïve of us, back then!)

‘T. N. Seshan cancels ‘Madras’ visit on Sunday’. – Yes, back then, it was called Madras!

Skip School Assembly

School Assembly was a weekly ritual that happened every Monday. 

However, hostellers usually gave a dignified slip to the General Assembly, since we already have our routine morning roll calls and Assemblies early in the morn, each and every morn!

Today, when General Assembly was happening, Raymond and myself, we were busy completing our Physics Records, and yes! finally we had managed to submit them as well!

Caught Studying for Chemistry Practicals during Math Period

Today we had our Chemistry Practical exam, and so we were quietly studying for the same, during our Math period, when Math master caught us ‘red-handed!’

He then asked us to leave the class and asked us to stand outside for the remaining duration of the class!

Two Boys Awarded Zero for Copying!

Two of our classmates were awarded a ‘zero’ for copying during Chemistry practical exam. (by Manikavachagam Master)

Words Disrespecting Elders

During our English class, a Tamil pundit came and gave us renditions of songs with morals and values.

One such song was ‘Ye, perisu’ (a disrespectful way of addressing elders), through which he called out the younger generation’s lack of regard and respect for their elders.

Zoology Class – I Feel Sleepy and Master’s Response!

Mr. Soundarrajan, our Zoology master was also a renowned body builder.

Since I had a good lunch at the hostel mess, felt a bit drowsy during Zoology class, and so keeping my head on the table, face down, I was gently trying to enter la la land, when there was a huge knock on the desk – a knock that startled me out of my stupor to such great lengths!

But Mr. Soundarrajan wasn’t harsh on us anytime!

He said – quite gently – patting me on the back, not to sleep during class hours.

Physics – Darshan interrupts Master

Physics master never allows interruptions of any sort. Our class monitor Darshan was a very mischievous guy.

Knowing full well that Master doesn’t like noises of any sort, especially when he is on lecture mode, he deliberately moved the bench with his legs, thus distracting and disturbing our Physics Master (Nedunchezhian Master).

Physics ‘Imposition’ for Two Boys!

Two boys were asked to write down the entire lesson as imposition for failing to bring the Physics Class work and Text book.

Had Math Class – ‘Boring!’

Math classes were boring for many of us, especially when they were in the last hour or on the penultimate hours.

Per chance it was our Math master’s lullaby-like voice that put us on ‘bore mode’? Well, we ain’t and can’t say that now! Sat near my bestie Sunil during Math class.

Besties - the Best Bet for a Boring Hour!

Well, whenever we sat near friends during a class, it meant we were bored stiff and so we were longing for means and ways to have some little fun and sweet distractions with friends. Hence it was, that I hopped a little, jumped a little, inching my way towards Sunil my bestie during this particular hour for our own little quota of entertainment!

‘Frutang’ Time

Evening’s refreshment time was something that everyone of us – hostellers - longed for.

So the moment Math class was over, Sunil and I, we rushed to the evening canteen to quench our thirst with the good ol’ Frutang - using up our canteen coupons!

Well, the Frutang was a refreshingly yummy mango drink that was served chilled, and hence students always made a beeline for this particular mango drink!

Did Math Problems

After Frutang time, we both finished working on our Math problems ahead of time, since the evenings and the nights were reserved for ‘all play and no work’ in the hostel!

Sunil Beats Me for tearing his Letter

Sunil usually hands over his letters to me to read them aloud to him. And today was no exception. But since I couldn’t open it properly, he beat me at the back! So I didn’t read the letter for him, and went to my cubicle and started doing my homework! He later came and apologized.  

For more diary reads on Sunil, you may want to read them HERE

Sunil Runs Off with ‘Champak’

Bed times were for Champak or Tinkle or Tintin! 

Today I decided on Champak, and sharp at ten, on bed, here I was, lost in my own world, reading Champak, enjoying every cartoon, every illustration, every word and every line of every page, quite happily, when all of a sudden, from nowhere, Sunil popped up - and... plucking off the Champak from my hands, he ran off merrily to his cubicle, shouting, ‘Good Night, see you!’.

Annoyed to the core, I got out of my regal recline, and tail-gating him straight to his cubicle, got my Champak back from him!

Well, you see, nights back then, [on student-mode], were incomplete to the core without our quota of Champaks and Tinkles!