Concerned at the fact that the transgenders are pushed to the brink of society and denied civil and political rights, a conference of jurists has called for creation of a national database, reservation in education and employment, anti-discrimination laws and quota in local body and Assemblies for the transgender community. Speaking at a function, Justice P. Sathasivam, Supreme Court Judge, said in a family when the transgenders were identified they would be forced to leave their home. Society was equally unwelcoming. They had very few rights and were not recognised by the Indian law, which denied them the right to vote, own property, marry and the right to claim formal identity through any official documents such as passport or driving licence. In the face of such odds they were forced to earn money any way they can, he said. Justice Mr. Sathasivam said the State government through an order dated December 12, 2006 said counselling should be given to children who might feel different from other individuals in terms of their gender identity; family counselling by teachers with the help of NGOs sensitised in that area should be made mandatory so that such children were not disowned by their families.
In an effort to improve the education of transgenders, the Tamil Nadu government also issued an order in May 2008 to create a third gender for admission to government colleges. The government had also decided to conduct a census on the transgender population in order to issue identity cards, he said.
Mr. Sathasivam requested both the Central and the State governments to introduce a legislation similar to that of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989 to provide compensation, which would safeguard the interests of transgenders.
Justice Dalveer Bhandari, Judge, Supreme Court, said human dignity rested on the recognition of the physical and spiritual integrity of the human being. It is harmed when individuals and groups were marginalised, ignored or devalued. The prejudice against transgenders started at home, said Justice Altamas Kabir, Judge, Supreme Court and Executive Chairman, National Legal Services Authority, New Delhi.
The situation had to be accepted and for this the mindset of people should change. Justice M.Y. Eqbal, Chief Justice, Madras High Court, P. Geetha Jeevan, Minister for Social Welfare and K. S. Sripathi, Chief Secretary, Tamil Nadu, spoke. The programme was jointly organised by the Madras High Court, National Legal Services Authority, New Delhi, the Tamil Nadu State Legal Services Authority and the Department of Social Welfare, Tamil Nadu.