Contradictions exist in India, a vast country steeped in ancient wisdom and culture, where the echoes of tradition sing reverence for all beings. Transgender people, known as hijras, have been woven into the fabric of society, recognized, and even respected for thousands of years. But today, these same communities stand on the precipice of suffering, their dignity undermined and their existence at risk.
Supreme Court ruling and Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act 2019discrimination against transgender people continues to intensify and crime continues to rise unchecked.
The 2019 law, once a beacon of hope, now seems like a faint whisper of social prejudice. Despite its storied past, India must reckon with the reality that ancient perceptions mean little if the present offers only dire circumstances.
As a number, National Crime Records Bureau These suggest that crime rates against transgender people are seemingly low. At first glance, we might take solace from these numbers, imagining progress for a society that has long been plagued by prejudice. But beneath this pretense lies a deeper truth. Activists are constantly wary, weary, and suspect significant underreporting. It seems numbers only tell half the story.
In the vast ledger of tragedy, Crime in India: 2022 According to the report, the NCRB has listed 29,356 souls lost to murders, of which only nine were transgender people. Some might say it’s just a number on a page. But far from being reassuring, this number is chilling when you consider its implications.
Out of a grim tally of 110,140 adult abductions and kidnappings, only one transgender victim was recorded. This is a stark and unforgettable singularity. The NCRB reported no cases of rape, sexual assault, or gang lynching involving transgender persons. But this absence is not a victory, but an alarming silence. The question then arises: Will these crimes never happen, or will they disappear from the pages of record? The silence of statistics can be as deafening as the violence that statistics cannot capture.
Another NCRB report Only 236 transgender people are listed as rape victims, a shockingly low number in a context where so much remains hidden. The report does not include cases of rape involving transgender people or the heinous crime of trafficking minors for prostitution. The true scale of their suffering appears to remain buried beneath a system that fails to adequately recognize or document their plight.
Congress passed the Transgender Rights Act in 2019
On November 26, 2019, Parliament took a bold step towards justice by passing the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill.
This law, as written, promises the protection and welfare of India’s trans community and protects against crimes against the trans community, ranging from forced labor to denial of access to public spaces and even exclusion from homes and villages. declared that it would not be tolerated. The law also criminalized physical, sexual, verbal, psychological, or economic abuse.
Penalties under the law for these crimes (forced labor, denial of rights, or various forms of abuse) range at best from six months to two years in prison and fines.
India has seen an alarming increase in the following cases in recent years: mass lynching To transgender people. One such tragic incident occurred on February 13, 2024. Raju, a 50-year-old transgender from Telangana’s Nizamabad district, became a victim of brutal mob violence after rumors of a child abduction spread throughout the village. I was called home.
Raju, a cowherd and beggar, was simply trying to earn a living when a mob, blinded by fear and ignorance, turned against them.
Authorities later removed Raju’s name and confirmed that he was not involved in any such crime. But the truth was too late. By the time Raju arrived at a local hospital, he had died from his injuries, his life senselessly consumed by hysteria and hatred.
A similar tragedy happened hyderabad In 2018.
Rumors of child abductions and robberies sparked fear and suspicion, leading to brutal attacks on transgender groups. Motivated by unfounded accusations, the mob turned violent, leaving one person dead and another seriously injured.
On July 29, a group of Kanwaryas, devotees of Lord Shiva, on a holy pilgrimage carried out a brutal assault. trans woman He was accused of theft in Uttar Pradesh and had his clothes stripped off. As the mob’s anger grew and the woman’s fate seemed sealed, authorities intervened just in the nick of time. They rescued her and took her to the police station. Authorities confirmed what the mob’s frenzy had overlooked. She was not a thief, just a victim of suspicion and violence.
group of trans woman On August 16, enraged by the gang rape of a resident doctor at a hospital, he left for R.G. Karr Medical College to participate in a protest against the West Bengal government. However, their journey took a dark turn at Rabindra Sadan metro station.
One trans woman claimed that Railway Protection Corps staff groped her in the name of “confirming” her gender. The group later filed a lawsuit against him, exposing yet another example of the humiliation transgender people face in public spaces. Even transgender identity itself is subject to humiliating scrutiny.
Report: 92% of transgender people experience physical or verbal abuse
subic saha, The founders of Jamshedpur Queer Circle are working at the grassroots level to bridge the gap by conducting awareness workshops with law enforcement and local communities to foster deeper understanding and inclusivity. LGBTQ organization highlighted to the Washington Blade the serious challenges faced by transgender people in Jharkhand. And the other side of India’s face.
He noted that when transgender people attempt to file first information reports, they are often met with hostility, harassment, and condescending behavior from police. Mr Shah said the core of the problem was a lack of sensitivity and awareness towards transgender identities within the police force. This systemic problem not only discourages communities from seeking justice, but also perpetuates the cycles of abuse and marginalization they endure.
“As the founders of Jamshedpur Queer Circle, we have witnessed firsthand the systemic discrimination that transgender people face, especially when attempting to interact with law enforcement,” Saha said. spoke.
“A 2018 National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) report highlights that 92 percent of transgender people face physical or verbal abuse, often by law enforcement officers themselves.” he added. “Many police departments lack gender-conscious programs that can foster respect and professionalism when dealing with LGBTQ people. As a result, transgender people are discouraged from seeking justice. Crimes against transgender people often go unreported and uninvestigated.”
Saha highlighted a particularly troubling incident involving a trans woman in Jharkhand, where she was persistently ridiculed by police officers when she attempted to file a domestic violence complaint at a local police station. Saha said her ordeal is a clear example of how law enforcement not only fails to protect transgender people, but actively marginalizes and further victimizes them. He said there is.
Saha said the NCRB data shows 236 trans victims with no registered cases, which is alarming and not surprising. He emphasized that the statistics clearly reflect the deep systemic problems that prevent transgender people from accessing justice.
Saha added that there are barriers to reporting crimes, which, combined with a lack of trust in law enforcement, creates an environment in which many victims go unheard and incidents go unrecorded.
“While the Supreme Court’s NALSA judgment in 2014 and the subsequent Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019 were landmark judgments for the transgender community, the reality on the ground tells a different story.” he said. “Despite these legal protections, violence against transgender individuals continues due to deeply entrenched social prejudice, lack of awareness, and failure to enforce these laws.”
Saha said: “One of the biggest problems is the gap between policy and practice. The law mandates protection for transgender individuals, but societal attitudes are slow to change.”
He pointed to a 2018 International Commission of Jurists study that found 73% of transgender people had experienced family violence and 47% said they had been physically assaulted by a member of the public. did.
“Even if a legal framework exists, enforcement agencies and local governments often lack the will and training to implement it effectively,” Saha said.
She told the Blade that her organization has encountered numerous cases where authorities failed to respond to transgender people facing gang violence or domestic violence. Mr. Saha stressed that societal prejudice and deep-rooted prejudice, reinforced by inadequate law enforcement, contribute to the continued violence and discrimination against the transgender community.
“As a society, we need more awareness campaigns, stricter enforcement mechanisms and a cultural shift to create an environment where transgender people feel safe and respected,” he said.
Without these changes, he warned, the cycle of marginalization will continue.
Kalki Subramaniam The trans activist, queer artist and actor, who is a member of the National Transgender Council, spoke out about the mistreatment of transgender people in police stations across India in an interview with the Blade.
She said law enforcement often does not treat transgender people with dignity.
“If a trans woman is raped, her FIR is rarely registered,” Subramaniam added. “It could be because police aren’t being sensitive enough to transgender people across the country.”
“The situation is the same everywhere in the country,” she told the Blade. “Despite many changes in the law, police personnel need to be sensitized to the broader network. Although some states are making some efforts, most of India’s The state has not yet addressed it.”
Subrahmanyam expressed deep shock after the number of trans rape victims was reported and stressed that violence against the trans community is endemic across India. She pointed out that this figure only represented documented incidents, and that hundreds of crimes, particularly violence and rape, remained unreported and undocumented.
Subramaniam highlighted the deep-rooted stereotypes against transgender people, adding that only a massive government-led awareness program can counteract them.
“As a member of the National Transgender Council under the Ministry of Social Justice, I have already emphasized in meetings that all ministries must be sensitized about transgender rights and issues,” Subramaniam said. said. “I will speak about the rape issue again at the ministry meeting.”
Ankush Kumar is a reporter who has covered numerous stories for the Washington Blaze and Los Angeles Blaze from Iran, India and Singapore. he recently reported to The Daily Beast. You can contact him at: [email protected]. He is on Twitter @mohitkopinion.
Source: Washington Blade: LGBTQ News, Politics, LGBTQ Rights, Gay News – www.washingtonblade.com
