'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…