Karishmita Saikia

Transgenders in groups asking for money from people in most public places in Guwahati has become a common sight now.

This was something that was not visible in the city until a few years ago, except when people invited them to their homes to seek blessings for newborns or newly married couples.

However, now groups of transgenders can be easily spotted in and around the city. Most get on city buses asking for money from passengers on the pretext of giving blessings or standing on the many lanes and by-lanes of the city.

Many transgenders even forcibly demand money from people, particularly the men.

Transgender community has always remained in the shadows, still struggling to equal status in the society.

A transgender said, “We get mixed responses from people. Some people give money willingly but some do not. However we never bully people for money.”

To make matters worse a new threat to their identities has emerged in the form of fake transgenders, who dress up like them and bully the public for money.

Associate Vice Chairperson of Transgender Welfare Board, Swati Bidhan Baruah said, “The number of fake transgenders are on the rise Guwahati and because of them the genuine ones are facing many difficulties.”

Around 2500 transgenders are original residents of the city, while around 1000 to 2000 are from other parts of the state like Dhubri, Moran, Man Cachar and Mongoldoi.

“We are really concerned as many imposters pose as transgenders and try to play on the sympathy of the public to collect money. The population of transgenders is gradually increasing in Guwahati rather than other parts of the state,” said Baruah.

This in a way shows that Guwahati is slowly emerging as the hub of such activities.

Meanwhile, one person of the transgender community in Guwahati’s Chandmari area narrated her plight saying that their community has not been accepted by the people in the mainstream yet.