Dilfaraz's Testimonial, Bangalore Panchayat, Resisting Stigma and Homophobia
Director: Jeevanandhan Rajendran
Duration: 00:06:25; Aspect Ratio: 1.333:1; Hue: 359.721; Saturation: 0.469; Lightness: 0.134; Volume: 0.141; Words per Minute: 100.363
Summary: People’s Panchayats on Resisting Stigma and Homophobia; Action Plus - a Coalition for Rights, Education and Care in HIV and AIDS. Dilfaraz speaks of the Hijra community, and the different social stigmas that are attached to transgender persons in India. He talks in detail about the police abuse that the community faces, and of police personnel who flagrantly disregard the law when in contact with transgender persons. He ends by pointing out that, in order for any tangible progress to be recorded, there needs to be a change in social attitudes towards the transgender community.
All of them spoke about the problems they faced at home and the problems they faced in society, about their health and about their education. Above all this is the maximum problem we face is from the police. People like us lose their rights to live as any other normal citizen would do. We are people discarded by society. We are looked as an insult to the society. The society does not consider us as human beings. There is no opportunity provided for the Hijras in the society to take up a job – they are always teased either by students or by the teachers. They are not allowed to complete their education. At home their own parents make fun of them. They are treated separately at home. This is when they decide to run away from home. When we decide to fulfill our wishes independently, the society does not pave its way for it. Everyone in society looks at up from the sexual angle. Some people start begging and while doing sex work, they get caught by the police and you all know what harassment one has to go through in the police station. They do not give them anything to eat; they torture them to the maximum degree with uneasy questions. We hear that it is the police that safeguards us in society, it is said that each and every citizen is protected by the police. Are we not citizens? Even people who beg are booked under extortion. They put false cases on us and send us to jail. There is no one to safeguard us.
Bangalore
People's Panchayats on Resisting Stigma and Homophobia; Action Plus - a Coalition for Rights, Education and Care in HIV and AIDS. Dilfaraz speaks of the Hijra community, and the different social stigmas that are attached to transgender persons in India. He talks in detail about the police abuse that the community faces, and of police personnel who flagrantly disregard the law when in contact with transgender persons. He ends by pointing out that, in order for any tangible progress to be recorded, there needs to be a change in social attitudes towards the transgender community.
action plus
aids
bangalore
begging
care
citizen
coalition
dilfaraz
education
hijra
hiv
homophobia
panchayat
people
police
resistance
rights
sex work
stigma
testimonial
Bangalore, India
action plus
aids
bangalore
begging
care
citizen
coalition
dilfaraz
education
hijra
hiv
homophobia
panchayat
people
police
resistance
rights
sex work
stigma
testimonial
Bangalore
People's Panchayats on Resisting Stigma and Homophobia; Action Plus - a Coalition for Rights, Education and Care in HIV and AIDS. Dilfaraz speaks of the Hijra community, and the different social stigmas that are attached to transgender persons in India. He talks in detail about the police abuse that the community faces, and of police personnel who flagrantly disregard the law when in contact with transgender persons. He ends by pointing out that, in order for any tangible progress to be recorded, there needs to be a change in social attitudes towards the transgender community.
You might be thinking of proof that I have for all these allegations, I am myself proof for it. Five hijras were apprehended by the police in the month of October. People of our organizations always render service to such people. So we went to the police station to rescue them. We thought that we all have the right to question them on the reason for their arrest, but that is totally wrong. When they questioned the police authorities about this, they challenged us as to how dare we do it. The police ill treat us and torture us in all the possible ways. They used to physically check if we are male or female. If we have a CD in our hand, then we are branded as a blue film maker. This is how police behaves with us. The police harass us and threaten us in all the ways possible. Whom do we go and talk about our feelings? Staff of our organization had come there to question about the arrest. Staff of our organization had come there to question about the arrest but in turn they were arrested for asking that. When people from other organizations demonstrated, they were lathi charged. They were produced in the court, all this was done by the police. People in society think that we are an insult to them. Think for yourselves, are we not human beings like you? The police says that we indulge in unlawful sexual activities – when they try the same with us, where does that law go? Who will punish them then?
Only when we start expressing our problems will they understand us and make others aware of it too. You're more important to us; no one did lend a ear to us till now.
When you all have independence, why should we not? Just like you, are we also not citizens of this country? When you are enjoying that freedom, why don't you give that to us too? Don't we have the right to survive in this society? Whom do we ask all this? It is you. It is for you to listen to us and analyze our problems. They gave us this platform to express our view and we have done the same.
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