Greetings from ATHB (Association of Transgender/Hijra in Bengal)!

ATHB is going to Organize a one day programme where from the morning we will have workshop on Capacity Building with the CBOs of different districts of West Bengal and in the evening we will have Award Function. In this function we will give Award to those people who really did something for the community. This is the first Award Function in India where Transgender and Hijras would be Empower and Respect in the mainstream by getting this Award. There are many Award for many people like for sports man, Film maker, Business man and Women etc. but there is nothing for Transgenders/Hijras in India.

We are giving this Award to whom are as follows:

1> Pinky Banerjee ( Bhaskar) : Pinky is basically from Hijra community and PLHA and taking ART and few days before she was admitted to Hospital there she came to know she is not well and suffering from many diseases. Forcely she was admitted to the Male Deapartment forcefully because there are no Department for the Hijras. Then after she was forced to wear Lungi which she denied. She wanted to wear Nighty ( which generally wear by female) but lots of objection came because she was in Male Department but after the lots of argument and request with the staff of Hospital they allowed her to wear Nighty. She was so sick even she could not walk properly but she came in the Rally of ” Transgender’s Day” which we had as a ” Black Day” on 30th Apil, 2010 in Kolkata and organised by the ATHB. First She walked little then she was sitting in the Rickshaw and atttend Rally from begining to end. This is the reason that we want to give this Bravery Awrad to her
and which would be encourage her and she would be a example for others.

2> Mahua Guru: Mahua Guru is the Guru of Hijra Community (Gharana). Generally Hijra community do not allow anyone from their daiyaar should go to any organisations specially who talk about HIV/AIDS in West Bengal. If they will hear all this about anyone from their Hijra community then they will force her to give penalty and sometime they kick them out of their community. After all this, Mahua Guru was present in the Porgramme of 30th April, 2010 from morning to evening and said many answers of the questions which had been asked by the public during the Panel Discussion. It is a History that any Hijra Guru attend such kind of programme openly and interacted with the Media and Public. It is really great and this is the reason that we have decided that we will give this award to Mahua Guru also.

3> Sudip Chakraborty: Sudip is from Transgender community and working as a outreach worker in MSM Network last few years. Sudip was forced to not to attend in the Rally which was on 30th April, 2010 in Kolkata as a Transgender’s Day, otherwise she would be answerable to the that MSM Network. But Sudip was the only one who did not care all this because she feels no any network is in West Bengal working on Transgender/Hijra and this is the first network who thinks about TG/Hijra only So, she decided that she will attend this programme by hook or crook. So, she came and attend this programme. After that when she went to her office (MANAS Bangla’s office) then she got one letter which was suspension letter for 15 days because she attended 30th April’s Rally. After that she did not sit silently and she had written one letter to us and asked help. We also forwarded that letter to NACO and SAPCS also but they did not do anything for her. Such kind
of MSM network and People do not want that Transgenders/Hijras should get Recognition and Identity in the Society. This is the reason that we would also like to give this award to her also. Not only Sudip her family was also in the problem, tension and depression when Sudip got this Suspension letter. This Award would go to her Family member also who still encourage her for her Braveness.

4> Vinita is a Transgender Sex worker who always says in the media and public about her sexuality and sex work. She is still strugling for her sexuality. She is thrown out from her house by the local goondas and clubs and she is staying in the red light area. We have decided that we will give this Award to her also for the encouragement and her valuable time to the community. She help a ot to the other community whenever any community face any kind of problem.

5> Sappho is a organisation also working for last many years in West Bengal.

Sappho’s Vision:
Our vision is a society free of sexuality-based discriminations, where rights of the sexual minorities will be ensured.
Mission:
The mission of our organization is to address the issues of sexually marginalized women in our society and to broaden the struggle for democracy for their equal rights, within the nation-state and beyond.

6> Manabi Bandopadhayay: Manabi was earlier Somnath Bandhopadhyay as Transgender Activist. She had done many TV programmes and sensetizations programmes for the community. She changed her sex few years ago. She is a Lecturer of a College last many years. She introduced news megazine (Abo manab) first in West Bengal where problems and achievement were written about Transgenders and Hijras.

We have decided that these five individuals and one organisation is eligible for this Award for the self respect and recognition of the community in the Society.

In West Bengal no any other Network or Agency is working for Transgender/Hijra. Even they do not want to talk about these community. Male to Female Transgender or Female to Male Transgender they do not want to strength the community.

Regards

Ranjit Sinha and all the team of ATHB

Venue of the Award Function:

Bravery Award Function which is organising by ATHB on 5th June, 2010 on Saturday from 4pm to 5pm at DMSC (Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee) 5/A, Nilmoni Mitra Lane, Kolkata-700006.

Please feel free to contact me for any details:
9830027185
9830023153

This is a very shocking news for all of us. One of our member cum friend committed suicide yesterday (5th April,2010). He was only 17 years old. He was keeping quite long hair which was not accepted by his family and day before yesterday (4th April’10) his mother cut his hair when he (Kundan Yadav) was sleeping at night. Before that his told him many times to cut his hair but he said he will keep long hair because of his identity as a Transgender. He always felt a female in a male body.

Kundan is committed suicide because of discrimination by everyone. Still there is no feeling those people who still think that Transgenders should not come front and fight for their rights. These people are sitting in the upper chair and not at all thinking of our Transgender community at all. Kundan was our member so we came to know this incident but just think what about those Kundan whom we don’t know or we could not reach to them. Just think there are many Kundan who are facing and doing many things like this but still there is no TRANSGENDER’s Identity is recognised as a Gender wise. In our daily life we are facing problems day by day by the society and family for our identity.

Everybody is thinking about Intervention and doing DIRTY POLITICS WITH TRANSGENDERS but no one thinking about the pain, problems, identity, recognition of Transgender at all. Only HIV intervention is not possible to give recognition for Transgender people but there are many things can be possible and need to do for the Transgender. Still there is no work, no identity recognition has been done anywhere in India. Now the Government is started doing senses but everybody is silent. This is the right time where all should presurise to kees Transgender also in this Senses. It is a very sad and shamefull thing that people are supporting TRANSGENDER’S FASHION SHOW, FILM and others thing but these people are not thinking about Transgender’s recognition and Identity at all. In the National level it has been decided that ther are difference among MSM / TRANSGENDER / HIJRA. As a HUMANTARIAN ground these people are not at all thinking of Transgender’s RECOGNITION. ARE THEY HUMAN BEING? They are giving and spending money HERE AND THERE in the name of DEVELOPMENT but these people do not want that Transgender people should be CIVILIZED and talk about their identity. TRANSGENDER COMUNITY IS THE MOST VULNERABLE COMMUNITY AMONG SEXUAL MINORITY but still they are not doing anything for Transgender at all. Nobody is coming front and support them.

Kundan’s suicide is a lesson for all the Transgender community. We understood that nobody will come and support us in our movement so, Wellwisher/Supporters/Activist/Leaders/Funders/Communities/Individuals/Friends time has come that we Transgender community and supporters (who are really with us) should take OATH that we will help each other in any ways. This TRANSGENDER’s DAY we will not treat as a celebration but “BLACK DAY” where all these Transgenders are committing suicide because of those people who are are first promise that we will support Transgender and then after they raise their hand that they can’t do anything and for those ALSO who are playing dirty politics sitting in the upper chair and do not want that Transgender should be recognised.

Please come forward and support us who are from community and who are Wellwisher/Supporters/Activist/Leaders/Funders/Communities/Individuals/Friends of Transgenders on 30th April’10 which is also a Transgender’s Day.

Coming Saturday (10th April’10) at 5pm we will give tribute to Kundan at 12/5 Nilmoni Mitra Street, Kolkata. You can also join us.

Ranjit Sinha

For any details or enquiry or support you can contact :

Sanjay Ram- -9830023153