Guwahati: Country's first transgender tea stall was inaugurated at Guwahati Railway Station on Friday. Where every passenger will be able to sip a cup of tea with traditional Assamese 'pitha-pana'. This special tea stall was located on platform number one of Guwahati Railway Station.
The tea stall has been opened at the initiative of Swati Bidhan Baruah, the founder of the All Assam Transgender Association. The transgender community expressed their gratitude to the authorities concerned with the Indian Railways for providing them a platform to open the tea stall. Transgenders have chosen a unique name for the outlet as 'Trans Tea Stall'.
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This outlet, which is available with Assamese traditional pitha-pana, along with tea, was inaugurated by Ansul Gupta, General Manager, North East Frontier Railway. Inaugurating the outlet, the General Manager of North East Frontier RailwayRailway said, ''This is the first tea stall set up by the transgender community in the North East Frontier Railway. People of the third gender have been victims of social discrimination. So, this facility has been given to them so that they also get equal status in society.'' Ansul Gupta also said that later people of the transgender community will be facilitated to set up more tea stalls at various stations in the country.
"Transgenders, who are discriminated against in society, have been deprived of facilities. But, the decision of North East Frontier Railway to provide them with a platform to sell tea is a good gesture, they felt. It's high time for the government to provide opportunities for transgenders to eke out their livelihood.
