For rights and respect, trans’ march through Ulhasnagar streets

Crusading for the dignified assimilation of transgenders, the Vaanya Foundation, Sindhu Education Society and Kinnar Asmita Samajik Sanstha organised a rally for kinnars, as the transgenders are widely known, on Monday in Ulhasnagar.

Held to celebrate the International Transgender Visibility Week, which is observed from March 31 till first week of April, the rally elicited a vibrant response as more than 200 transgenders, wearing the signature dresses of doctors, advocates, and other valued professionals, eagerly participated in the event.

Starting from 24C school on Monday evening, the kinnars proudly marched through Nehru Chowk, Aman Talkies, Kacharam Putla before finally reaching the Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation headquarters.

During the rally, the participants—who are often the subjects of social shame and face cultural, legal and economic challenges on a daily basis—also performed street plays to portray their bitter life experiences to the present onlookers and civic officials. Moved by the constant hardships in the life of a trans, the bystanders connected with them emotionally and expressed firm solidarity with them, saying ‘hum hain na’ or “we are there for you”.

BJP corporator and the founder of Vaanya Foundation, Rekha Thakur, said, "The transgender community is also included in the constitution and they as well as we should know their rights. The rights will be helpful in bringing them into the mainstream.”

The initiative was appreciated by deputy civic commissioner Jamir Lengarkar and corporator Arun Ashan, she added.