अक़्स-ए-ख़ुशबू हूँ

In a unique effort to bring eunuchs in social mainstream, a "school" has been specially set up for transgenders in the district which will also provide them vocational training.

"Eunuchs are generally ostracised by society. They have full right to live like normal people," Syed Ehtshaam Huda, chief medical superintendent and the brain behind the school, said.

The school, which has been named as 'Aas' (hope), will also offer rehabilitation services.

"There is a need to identify and address problems being faced by eunuchs," Huda said, adding the school will not only provide general education, but will also give them vocational training in sewing, nursing, computers, beauty care and cooking.

"The eunuchs will be trained in personality development skills and made aware about their fundamental rights and duties," said the doctor, who had in the past launched a campaign for separate enumeration of transgenders.

He said that initially the school is being run on weekly basis, but will start operating daily.

"The schools will not have permanent teachers. Instead guest lecturers from the field of academics, social, judiciary, economic and science fields will be invited to answer queries of eunuchs," Huda said.

President of All India Kinnar Association Sonia Haji said that it was an important step towards uplift of eunuchs in the country.

Noted historian and former professor of Jawaharlal Nehru University UP Arora said that eunuchs have had a glorious past and such steps were needed to ameliorate their living conditions.

Feb 20, 11:22 am
बरेली। समाज के सबसे तिरस्कृत तबके यानी किन्नरों को समाज की मुख्यधारा से जोड़ने और उन्हें सम्मानपूर्ण जीवन जीने का अधिकार दिलाने की दिशा में महत्वपूर्ण पहल के तहत उत्तर प्रदेश के बरेली में देश का सम्भवत: अपनी तरह का पहला 'किन्नर स्कूल' खोला गया है।
बरेली की गैर सरकारी संस्था शेख फरजंद अली एजुकेशनल एण्ड सोशल फाउंडेशन आफ इंडिया [सिस्फा-इस्फी] ने किन्नरों के लिए 'आस' नाम से यह स्कूल सह पुनर्वास केन्द्र खोला है। इसे देश में अपनी तरह का पहला तरबियती इदारा माना जा रहा है।
देश में जारी जनगणना में किन्नरों के लिए अलग श्रेणी आवंटित करवाने के लिए सफल मुहिम चला चुकी संस्था 'सिस्फा-इस्फी' के सचिव और शहर के एक मल्टीस्पेशलिटी अस्पताल के मुख्य चिकित्सा अधीक्षक डाक्टर सैयद एहतेशाम हुदा ने कहा कि किन्नर भी आम इंसान हैं और उन्हें भी सामान्य लोगों की तरह जिंदगी जीने का हक है।
उन्होंने कहा कि देश में किन्नरों को हिक़ारत भरी नज़रों से देखा जाता है और इसी तिरस्कार के चलते यह तबका समाज की मुख्यधारा से कोसों दूर है। लोगों की बलाएं लेने वाले किन्नरों का पीछा कर रही बलाओं को खत्म करने की फिक्र भी जरूरी है।
हुदा ने बताया कि समाज में हाशिए पर खड़े किन्नरों को इस बहुआयामी स्कूल में सामान्य शिक्षा के अलावा जरी-जरदोजी, सिलाई, कढ़ाई, नर्सिग, कम्प्यूटर, ब्यूटीशियन, रिसेप्शनिस्ट तथा कुकिंग समेत विभिन्न रोजगारपरक कार्याें का प्रशिक्षण देने के साथ-साथ व्यक्तित्व निर्माण के गुण तथा संवैधानिक अधिकारों एवं कर्तव्यों के बारे में जानकारी देकर जागरूकता पैदा की जाएगी।
हुदा ने बताया कि किन्नरों के लिए स्कूल एवं पुनर्वास केन्द्र फिलहाल सप्ताह में एक दिन खोला जाता है लेकिन जल्द ही इसमें रोजाना कक्षाएं चलाई जाएंगी।
उन्होंने बताया कि स्कूल में शिक्षण-प्रशिक्षण का तौर-तरीका भी नई परिकल्पना पर आधारित है। इस स्कूल में स्थाई अध्यापक नहीं होंगे। इसमें वह खुद आकर किन्नरों को पढ़ाएंगे।
इसके अलावा रोजमर्रा की जिंदगी से जुड़ी जरूरतों के बारे में किन्नरों की जिज्ञासाओं और सवालों के जवाब देने के लिए शैक्षिक, सामाजिक, न्यायिक, आर्थिक और वैज्ञानिक क्षेत्र से जुड़े विशेषज्ञों को अतिथि अध्यापक के तौर पर बुलाया जाएगा।
आल इंडिया किन्नर एसोसिएशन की अध्यक्ष सोनिया हाजी ने किन्नरों के लिए स्कूल खोले जाने का स्वागत करते हुए इसे देश में किन्नरों की हालत में सुधार की दिशा में उठाया गया अत्यंत महत्वपूर्ण कदम बताया।
उन्होंने कहा कि इसके जरिए किन्नर अपने अधिकारों और कर्तव्यों के प्रति जागरूक होकर मुख्यधारा में शामिल होने के वास्ते मानसिक रूप से तैयार हो जाएंगे।
किन्नरों के कल्याण के प्रति हुदा की मुहिम से जुड़े देश के प्रख्यात इतिहासकार तथा जवाहरलाल नेहरू विश्वविद्यालय के सेवानिवृत्त शिक्षक प्रोफेसर यू. पी. अरोड़ा ने बताया कि विश्व इतिहास में किन्नरों का गौरवशाली इतिहास रहा है और एक वक्त तो मिस्र की अदालतें किन्नरों के जिम्मे थीं।
उन्होंने कहा कि 'सिस्फा-इस्फी' द्वारा स्थापित किया गया किन्नर स्कूल सह पुनर्वास केन्द्र देश में अपनी तरह का पहला केन्द्र है।
गौरतलब है कि सिस्फा-इस्फी द्वारा प्रधानमंत्री कार्यालय और राष्ट्रपति भवन को पत्र लिखकर गुजारिश किए जाने के बाद सरकार ने जनगणना में किन्नरों के लिए अलग श्रेणी आवंटित करने पर गौर के लिए पिछले साल एक तकनीकी सलाहकार समिति गठित की थी, जिसकी सिफारिश पर सरकार ने किन्नरों के लिए महिला और पुरुष वर्ग के अतिरिक्त किन्नरों के लिए 'कोड 3' की व्यवस्था की थी।
बकौल हुदा, सरकार ने सूचना का अधिकार कानून के तहत अर्जी दिए जाने पर उन्हें यह जानकारी दी थी।
हुदा ने कहा कि देश में राष्ट्रीय महिला आयोग की तर्ज पर किन्नर आयोग का भी गठन होना चाहिए और इस सिलसिले में वह जल्द ही प्रधानमंत्री मनमोहन सिंह तथा संप्रग अध्यक्ष सोनिया गाधी से मुलाकात कर उनसे यह माग करेंगे।
उन्होंने कहा कि इसके लिए दिल्ली में वरिष्ठ अधिवक्ताओं से राय ली जा रही है और जरूरत पड़ने पच् उच्चतम न्यायालय में जनहित याचिका भी दायर की जाएगी।

..Lucknow, Dec 13 (PTI) Social activists today hailed the government''s decision to introduce a separate ''Others'' category in 2011 Census for transgenders and termed it as a right step.

"Though a belated one it is a right step which would help the government initiate special schemes for the welfare of this most neglected section of society," social activist and retired IPS officer, Kiran Bedi told PTI on phone.

"It is a positive and historical step to bring the transgenders, who had been facing humiliation since ages, in the mainstream," she said, adding that it would help get the correct data to help the government formulate special welfare schemes for the community.

Activist Swami Agnivesh said that such a provision was needed to have been made a long time back. The community should get all the rights of a common citizen, he said.

Hailing the decision, President of All India Kinnar Association, Sonia Haji thanked intellectuals for helping them get their right.

"India is perhaps the first country in the world to have made such a provision for transgenders in census and this would also pave the way for others of our kind the world over to get equal rights," Haji said.

For attaining equality in society, we would now demand reservation in elections, Haji said, adding that a demand for a separate commission has also been made.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi and general secretary Rahul Gandhi have also given an assurance to consider it, the Association''s president said.

The Office of the Registrar General of India (RGI) said in an RTI reply that as recommended by the Technical Advisory Committee "transgenders would be given separate code i.e. ''3'' in the names of others, the ''1'' and ''2'' being meant for male and female respectively during the ensuing Census 2011."

The community is, presently, included as ''Males'' in the census.

An NGO led by Bareilly-based activist Dr.S.E.Huda had petitioned the Prime Minister''s Office, President''s Secretariat, Home Ministry and Registrar General''s Office on inclusion of transgender as a different category.

The Home Ministry had referred the matter to Technical Advisory Committee, which has given nod for providing a third category other than male and female.
...

PTI – Mon, Dec 13 1:34 PM IST
..New Delhi, Dec 13 (PTI) Government has accepted the recommendations of the Technical Advisory Committee to include transgenders as a separate ''Others'' category in the Census 2011.

After demands that transgenders be included in a separate category, the Home Ministry had referred the matter to the Committee, which has given nod for providing a third category other than male and female.

The Office of the Registrar General of India (RGI) said in an RTI reply that as recommended by the Technical Advisory Committee "transgenders would be given separate code i.e. ''3'' in the names of others, the ''1'' and ''2'' being meant for male and female respectively during the ensuing Census 2011."

"But it is to be reported only when the respondent wishes to return other than code-1 and code-2 and thus left at the choice of respondents to opt for code-3," the RGI said in an reply to RTI application filed by Bareli-based activist Dr.S.E.Huda.

In the current practise, the community is included in the Census as ''males''. The TAC had proposed that during census, males will be given code one, females two and for transgendered it will be ''code three'' which has been accepted by the Government.

An NGO led by Dr.Huda had petitioned the Prime Minister''s Office, the President''s Secretariat, the Home Ministry and the Registrar General''s Office on inclusion of transgenders as a different category.

It has also filed a petition before the Supreme Court.

The Planning Commission, meanwhile, has also recommended separate category for the transgenders in the Unique Identification Authority of India Project, according to a separate RTI reply from the Commission.
...

PUBLIC INTEREST LITIGATION



To,
Date: 19/10/2010
Hon’ble Chief Justice
Supreme Courts of India
ref: ssfaesfi/peti/12/2010
New Delhi.


Sub: - Petition for Separate Gender Identification for Eunuchs in Census 2011

Syed Shah Farzand Ali Educational & Social
Foundation of India
Redg. Office 628 Rohili Tola Old City Bareilly

V / S

1. Govt. Of India, 2.State of Uttar Pradesh, 3.Census Department, 4.
Ministry Of Home Affairs, 5. HRD Department.

Sir,

Kindly refer our earlier request 24/4/10, & dated 2/7/2010, &
subsequent Fax 13/5/2010,( Xerox copy is enclosed) regarding the above
subject, wherein we had requested to kindly instruct the concern
department to carry out the above process for the Eunuchs.

With due regard we would like to mention here that very less time is
left in the completion of the census process and till date no
appropriate action has been taken, nor any satisfactory reply has been
given to us on the petition filed by us for PIL.

This is the question of the existence of approximately 1.25 crore
eunuchs in India, and it is our utmost desire that transgenders should
also enjoy the rights like other citizen of India. Therefore we most
humbly request your good self to kindly take this issue on humanity
grounds keeping in mind their social, economical, educational and
cultural status in India and also consider our request as Public
Interest Litigation.

Here we would like to bring to your kind notice that on this issue we
had correspondence with Finance department, Govt. of India and
Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment Govt. of India, under Right
to Information Act 2005, seeking information regarding welfare schemes
for transgenders. According to these departments they do not have any
welfare schemes. We are enclosing all related correspondence, for your
perusal.

According to article 14 & 21 of Constitution of India ‘No person shall
be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to
procedure established by Law’ so we strongly feel that transgenders
should also not be deprived of their life or personal liberty.

Therefore once again we request your good self to give mandatory
instructions on the said subject, to all the concerned departments of
Govt. of India so that transgenders could lead their life as a
respectable and responsible citizen of India.

Waiting for earlier and positive response.

Yours truly.


(Dr. S. E. Huda)
Secretary
SSFA-ESFI

This is for Frances Mary Fischer, the transgender woman I met in New York.

An edited version appeared in The Indian Express on October 12, 2010.

Chinki Sinha
New Delhi, October 11, 2010

It was a fight for a column, a space where the numerous transgender could affirm their identity and not be compartmentalized into either male or female.
With Bihar becoming the first state to implement the Election Commission's mandate to have a separate column “Other” in the voter enrolment and registration, Dr. SE Huda, a Bareilly-based doctor who had approached the apex body that conducts elections in 2009 asking them to recognize the third gender, feels vindicated.
It is not just the Election Commission that took the lead so “others could follow suit” as per the Chief Election Commissioner SY Quershi, now the UIDAI, a Planning Commission initiative to accord identity to all Indian residents, has also extended the gender identity and inclusion to “Transgender” on their enrolment forms and their database.
The UIDAI enrolment form will now have “M”, “F” and “T” so the one million eunuchs can register as themselves.“It was a legitimate demand and we said let others follow out example. It is a good thing that the UIDAI is doing it. In the voter enrolment, the officials refused to register them as females because of their male voice so we decided to do this,” Chief Election Commissioner SY Quershi said.
“There was some representation to Navin Chawla and we immediately decided to do it. It is an all India instruction but starts with Bihar in the upcoming elections.”In February 2010 the election commission of India allowed intersex and transsexuals the right to register as voters with “Other”.
This was what Bareilly-based Dr. SE Huda, secretary of Syed Shah Farzand Ali Educational & Social Foundation of India, which has offices in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi where they work with women, children and eunuchs, fought for. At a conference for third gender equality in Bareilly in April 2009, his organization had decided they would take this up with the Election Commission, with the Census, and with the UIDAI, so the right identity is accorded and statistical data on the number of transgender in the country becomes available. Dr. Huda was also called to Delhi by former chief election commissioner Navin Chawla to discuss his work with the community and how to reach out this segment of voters with a low voting rate.
In August, the UIDAI wrote back to Barielly-based doctor Huda that the authority had already provided a third option – transgender – on their enrolment form and in the database. The 30-year-old doctor had asked the Planning Commission to include the “third sex” to accord them their rightful identity so they could access various government welfare schemes like the Tamil Nadu government's scheme of a welfare board and free sex reassignment surgeries at the government hospitals for the transgenders and the Karnataka's government pension scheme for the members of the community. For the UIDAI Huda's letter was an endorsement of sorts, and a reassurance that they were in the right direction with the marginalized community, UIDAI Deputy Director General K. Ganga said.
Ganga had responded to Dr. Huda's RTI application and she told Indian Express that the Demographic Data Standard and Verification Procedure Committee had already decided to capture the information whether a person was transgender though it wasn't their mandate to collect statistical data on eunuchs way back in December 2009, something that Dr. Huda wanted. "We had received this letter and I was the one who had responded," Ganga said. "We wrote to the President office who Huda had also written to telling them we could capture the gender but that would not be for statistical purpose. For us, it was an endorsement of our plans." In future, the UIDAI may also partner with groups and organizations that work with the transgender community.
Around five years ago, a transgender person had asked for an appointment at a hospital in Barielly but at 10 in the morning she didn't turn up at the hospital. She came later in the evening and Dr. Huda, a 30-year-old doctor who wrote to the UIDAI earlier this year to ask them to include the third sex on their enrollment form, asked her why she didn't come earlier.
She was in pain as she was suffering with cervical spondylitis and pain was radiating towards her heart and her limbs had become numb. But even acute pain couldn't bring her to go to the hospital earlier.
She asked if he wanted her to go through yet another round of humiliation in a crowded general OPD ward. Dr. Huda recalled he didn't know what to say.
“She asked me if I had the courage to diagnose her in front of everyone,” Dr. Huda said. “That led me to work towards the inclusion of the transgender in the mainstream society. I had followed it up. It is good that they did it."

Tue, Oct 12 12:44 PM
The Election Commission was the first to do it, and the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has followed the example - the transgenders of India are finally being recognised by its government.

Enrolment forms of the UIDAI will have a third column - 'T', for Transgender - along with the 'M' and 'F' for Male and Female respectively, so that over a million eunuchs can register their unique identities.

The EC announced a similar decision on February 20 this year, and the Bihar Assembly elections beginning later this month have seen, for the first time, a separate column 'O' - for 'Others', meaning intersex and transsexuals — in voter enrolment and registration forms.

"It was a legitimate demand and we said let others follow our example. It is a good thing that the UIDAI is doing it. In the voter enrolment, the officials refused to register them as females because of their male voice so we decided to do this," Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi said.

"There was a representation to (former CEC) Navin Chawla and we immediately decided to do it. It is an all India instruction but starts with Bihar in the upcoming elections." The representation was made by a 30-year-old Bareilly-based doctor, S E Huda, who approached both the EC and the UIDAI on behalf of the Syed Shah Farzand Ali Educational & Social Foundation of India, which has offices in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, UP and Delhi, where they work with women, children and eunuchs.

At a conference on gender equality in 2009, Huda's organisation decided to take up the issue with key government organisations so that transgender identity is recognised and correct statistics about them is made available.

In August, the UIDAI wrote to Dr Huda to say that the Authority had already provided for a third gender identity - that of 'Transgenders' - on its enrolment forms and databases. UIDAI's Deputy Director General K Ganga said that for the Authority, Huda's letter was an endorsement of its position — and a reassurance that the Authority was going in the right direction with regard to the marginalized community.

"I was the one who responded to Huda," Ganga said. "We wrote to the President's office, where Huda too had written, to tell them we could capture the gender but that would not be for statistical purposes. For us, it was an endorsement of our plans."

In future, the UIDAI may also partner with groups and organizations that work with the transgender community, Ganga said.