Police manhandle, detain trans persons protesting at Chennai Karunanidhi memorial
More than 15 transgender persons and rights activists, who were peacefully protesting at the M Karunanidhi memorial on the Marina in Chennai, were allegedly manhandled and detained by the Tamil Nadu police on Monday, April 17, before being sent to a community hall near the Kannagi Statue. The police also made disparaging remarks about the transgender community while manhandling them, alleged Grace Banu, a trans activist and the founder of Trans Rights Now Collective. The protest was aimed at bringing the government’s attention to the long-pending demand for the implementation of horizontal reservation among trans persons in the state.
“Despite having good marks in competitive exams such as the Tamil Nadu State Eligibility Test (TNSET), the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC), and the Tamil Nadu Uniformed Services Recruitment Board (TNUSRB), many well-qualified transgender candidates are unable to secure government jobs. We need reservations to counter this,” Grace told TNM. The protest was staged in the wake of the Tamil Nadu Assembly’s Budget session on Monday, where the Social Welfare Department (SWD) would discuss and pass the demands for grants. The SWD is the nodal department supposed to look after the welfare of trans persons in the state.
Grace said the group was conducting a peaceful protest at the Karunanidhi memorial without disturbing the public, when the police manhandled and detained them. “We chose the memorial of former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi as the venue for the protest because he was the one who initiated a lot of schemes for the welfare of trans persons,” she added.
Rizwan, a trans man who participated in the protest, said he was taking photographs of the event when the police arrived at the spot and snatched the camera off his hands. “They were taking out their frustration on us,” he said. He added that he had undergone a surgery just recently, and the police aggression at the protest made him bleed.
It may be noted that it has been close to a year since Justice MS Ramesh of the Madras High Court criticised the Tamil Nadu government for not providing adequate reservations in employment to transgender persons, in a judgment mandating reservation. However, the provision has not been implemented yet, leaving six qualified transgender women in the lurch — five of them fighting for a police job under the Tamil Nadu Uniformed Services Recruitment Board (TNUSRB), and one for a teaching job.
At a press conference earlier this year, Grace Banu said, "We have already sent multiple representations and petitions to the state government asking for horizontal reservation to transgender persons in education and employment. But there has been no action. Meanwhile Karnataka, our neighbouring state, has 1% horizontal reservation in place for transgender persons in employment.” She also demanded the age relaxation up to at least 37 years as provided to widow and ex-servicemen.