‘Transgender people need housing rights for peaceful living’

RAJSHAHI: “I had to change my house more than 10 times since I left behind my ancestral house in Assam Colony area in the metropolis around 18 years back,” Chumky, 32, lamented, reports BSS. She has been passing her days with great anxieties over her long-lasting housing problem as the society as a whole is reluctant to accept her as a human being.
While talking to BSS here on Saturday Chumky, a transgendered, terms her housing problem as worst among many others. Accompanied by six other transgendered, she lives in a low quality house but its rent is comparatively very high in Seroil Colony area under Boalia Police Station in the city at present.
She mentioned that they had to stay in house amidst manifold problems as there was no alternative place to go as many house owners refuse renting out accommodation to them.
Monika, 25, a hijra of Haragram, said they face serious problems in renting houses and availing of state facilities.
She said the government should take steps so that they can get a proper share of their paternal property as third gender. “It also can introduce quota in various public jobs for third gender.”
Being driven out from their respective parental houses, more than 450 transgendered in the city and on its outskirts are facing more or less similar problems resulting in their indecent bahaviours everywhere. Some of them like Selina Khan and Mousumi depicted their painful stories during separate exclusive interviews expressing their resentments over their existing helpless situation.
Laila, a 35 year old transgendered sex-worker, shares ‘I moved to the city from Dhaka about 19 years ago. I was working at a restaurant and then resorted to shari vending but it became impossible for me to continue to work there.
Sagarika, general secretary of Dinar Alo Hijra Sangha (DAHS), said they are facing many problems, as they are still deprived of basic rights since their third gender identity is yet to be implemented.
“The government should give us third gender identity through parliament,” Sagarika added. Though the government has recognised the transgender or hijra as the third gender before three and a half years back, the Election Commission is yet to enroll them as voters and provide them with national identity (NID) cards with their distinct sexual identity.
Right activists and hijra leaders think the EC is not only ignoring the hijra community but also defying the government’s order by refraining from implementing the cabinet’s decision to identify hijra as third gender in all official documents. Currently, the hijra community members have to be enlisted as either male or female since there is no option given in the voter registration form or in the NID or smart card to write third gender as their sex, discouraging many of them to be voters.

 

Transgender people need housing rights for peaceful living

RAJSHAHI: I had to change my house more than 10 times since I left behind my ancestral house in Assam Colony area in the metropolis around 18 years back, Chumky, 32, lamented, reports BSS. She has been passing her days with great anxieties over her long-lasting housing problem as the society as a whole is reluctant to accept her as a human being. While talking to BSS here on Saturday Chumky, a transgendered, terms her housing problem as worst among many others. Accompanied by six other transgendered, she lives in a low quality house but its rent is comparatively very high in Seroil Colony area under Boalia Police Station in the city at present. She mentioned that they had to stay in house amidst manifold problems as there was no alternative place to go as many house owners refuse renting out accommodation to them. Monika, 25, a hijra of Haragram, said they face serious problems in renting houses and availing of state facilities. She said the government should take steps so that they can get a proper share of their paternal property as third gender. It also can introduce quota in various public jobs for third gender. Being driven out from their respective parental houses, more than 450 transgendered in the city and on its outskirts are facing more or less similar problems resulting in their indecent bahaviours everywhere. Some of them like Selina Khan and Mousumi depicted their painful stories during separate exclusive interviews expressing their resentments over their existing helpless situation. Laila, a 35 year old transgendered sex-worker, shares I moved to the city from Dhaka about 19 years ago. I was working at a restaurant and then resorted to shari vending but it became impossible for me to continue to work there. Sagarika, general secretary of Dinar Alo Hijra Sangha (DAHS), said they are facing many problems, as they are still deprived of basic rights since their third gender identity is yet to be implemented. The government should give us third gender identity through parliament, Sagarika added. Though the government has recognised the transgender or hijra as the third gender before three and a half years back, the Election Commission is yet to enroll them as voters and provide them with national identity (NID) cards with their distinct sexual identity. Right activists and hijra leaders think the EC is not only ignoring the hijra community but also defying the governments order by refraining from implementing the cabinets decision to identify hijra as third gender in all official documents. Currently, the hijra community members have to be enlisted as either male or female since there is no option given in the voter registration form or in the NID or smart card to write third gender as their sex, discouraging many of them to be voters.