Assam: Consultation programme on transgender rights and challenges held in Dhubri

Rainbow Home of Seven Sisters (RHoSS) in collaboration with the district Social Welfare Office in Dhubri organised a consultation programme on "Trans Persons Challenges and Way Forward" on Thursday at Lions Club, Dhubri.

The programme mainly discussed the need to have a transgender identity card, hormonal therapy of trans persons, the need for a transgender protection cell and reporting of atrocities against them.

Sister Prema Chowallur, in charge of RHoSS, informed that their mission is to give shelter to transgender persons and survivors of human trafficking who are thrown out of their homes and society, give them psychological support and educate them with life skills and soft skills in order to make them self-sufficient for their future life in the society.

"To lend a hand and accept the vulnerable and rejected persons in the society", Sister Prema Chowallur said.

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She also added that they aim to prevent human trafficking and environmental destruction through awareness and other activities that will bring sustainable development both in humans and nature.

In pursuant of the Govt. of Assam, Home (A) Department's letter No. HMA.197/2021/77 dated 09/05/2022 and Notification No. HMA.98/2022/82 dated 09/08/2022, in the exercise of Rule 11 (5) of "The Transgender Persons (Protection of Right) Rules, 2020" a "Transgender Protection Cell" has been constituted in Dhubri.

However, it has been informed by the trans-persons present in the programme that due to negligence the "Transgender Protection Cell" only exists in pen and paper, as the documents for the cell are still stuck in the district administration office.

The said cell was formed along with the district magistrate as chairman and district social welfare officer as member secretary including SP, Dhubri and five other members to monitor the cases of offences against transgender persons and to ensure timely registration, investigation and prosecution of such offences for the district of Dhubri.

Yasmin Nasima Parvin, a research scholar and a member of RHoSS and "Transgender Protection Cell" stated that in Dhubri town there are more than one hundred transgender persons to whom they are trying to teach both life skills and soft skills to make them self-sufficient.

"Last but not least, we are trying to open the 'Transgender Protection Cell', which is one of a kind in the entire Assam. Once the cell begins many of the issues and problems related to transgender persons are going to be solved", Yasmin said.