Mumbai: Kinnar Maa helping transgenders during lockdown

People from various walks of life get support from the government. Yet, transgenders are a community almost totally ignored by the government. In this situation, Kinnar Maa, an organization working for transgenders, has stepped in and is trying to help members of Mumbai's transgender community get by during this lockdown.

Mumbai (Maharashtra): Kinnar Maa, an organization working for transgenders helped the gender minority during last year's lockdown. This year too, the organization has ramped up their efforts to come to the aid of the third gender community. During the current COVID crisis too, the organisation will once again distribute food and other necessities. Also, this organisation helps not only transgenders but also needy women. The government has announced financial assistance to rickshaw pullers, street vendors and domestic workers. However, transgenders are not taken into account in the relief measures of the government. Kinnar Maa organisation has demanded that the government should also announce a financial package for these transgenders without any discrimination.

There are restrictions on movement due to Section 144 has being implemented in the state till April 30. Therefore, there are restrictions on people from all walks of life except for essential services. Therefore, the question arises as to how transgenders, whose lives depend on begging, survive. To solve this issue, the organization 'Kinnar Maa' has come forward to help them. In last year's lockdown, the organisation did a great job for the transgender community. The organisation had distributed food and essential items to about 70,000 transgenders.

A helping hand to transgenders

In addition, this organisation has also helped 20,000 needy women. Now a lockdown has been imposed in the state again. The situation is the same this year as it was last year. The organisation has started helping the transgender community so that they do not have to starve again. Some of this help was carried out in the Dharavi Sion area. "How do we survive? If our livelihood depends on begging, how will we be able to survive? If no one is going to donate to us, then how would we survive? Such questions are being raised in the transgender community. Just like the government in other states helps the transgender community with Rs 2000, per month, similarly, if our government offers this help, it will pave the way for the subsistence of many transgenders. The government has announced a package of Rs 5,600 crore, which helped many. However, they have not made any provision in it for us", said Salma Khan, President of the Kinnar Maa Trust adding that if the government provides food and financial assistance to this neglected section of the society it will help them to stand for themselves and the organization had asked the chief minister to help with this.