An Introduction
– Compiled by Madhurima Majumder
Most of the articles in this issue set out to explore the ways in which intersection of categories like gender, sexual orientation, class, caste and religion have a bearing on the privileges we enjoy and the vulnerabilities that we face. Gender has been placed as an important category that determines our relation with the city. Women find themselves at a disadvantaged position in comparison to men. However, those who do not fall into the neat binary of male and female sex that is assigned at birth find themselves at an enormously disadvantaged position. In India, transgender people have been historically discriminated against, so much so that the only modes of occupation available to them are begging and sex work. Transwomen and transmen and non-binary transgender people face violence and marginalization at every level. Government refuses to accept or even recognize their self-determined sexual and gender identities, public policies do almost nothing to include them, the media often ridicules or demonizes them and the medical world pathologies them.
Out of these tremendous constraints, Rachana Mudraboyina, a transwoman from Rajahmundry migrated to Hyderabad and made it her new home. She has a double Masters, one in commerce and other in social work. She is an activist but interestingly her activism is not limited to the transgender people’s rights and queer movements. Or even feminist movements. Besides working on these issues, she also actively engages with people’s movements of other marginalized communities such as Dalits, workers, farmers and so on. Rachana’s activism comes from a deeper understanding and conviction that transgender people do not come with their gender identity alone and have other marginalized identities of caste, religion, region etc. Her work over the years has been geared toward forging solidarity among these different voices from the margins to strengthen each other’s struggle.
A brief look at her Facebook profile tells us that she uses this social media platform actively for expressing her thoughts, opinions as well as build networks and strengthen her community based activism. For this article I have curated some of her Facebook posts in an attempt to plot these intersections and better understand her as an activist as well as an individual living and working in Hyderabad.
For this article, due to constrains of space, I have chosen some posts and have tried to maintain chronology.
9th Oct
Radhika Amma, RohithVemula’s mother withdraws support from Amnesty India in light of the management’s discrimination against its marginalized staff and use of the marginalized communities for meeting their membership targets. She stands with those discriminated against.
Jai Bheem… Johar Rohit…Very proud of my mother, Radhikaamma!
#Takeninjusticepersonally
Rohit Vemula was a Dalit scholar from HCU who took his own life as a mark of protest against the administration of University of Hyderabad, which refused to follow the due process and meted out punitive measure against six Dalit students on the basis of a complaint from the student from a dominant community.
15th oct
We all know that the sex workers’ movement of this nation is on the verge of ethical slaughter by the sanskaari winds blown from fascist squall….
How far the #Metoo movement is going to take into its’ folds the voice of women who are dehumanized by the patriarchal society on the basis of their different sexuality is to be seen. Choosing sex work as work and being gender variant is still taboo….
Proud to stand with this bold woman named Nalini Jameela whose first book The Autobiography of a Sex Worker was one of my favorite classics. It is a fierce presentation of violent patriarchal oppressions of a sex worker, in the domestic sphere as well as the public places. This year she won the South Asia Laadli Award on gender sensitivity for her second book Romantic Encounters of a Sex Worker.
Nalini Jameela defines sex work as a language without any script or rule. She also says there is no doubt that choices and compulsions differ according to our social station but sex work was comparatively a better option than alternatives like labouring in a quarry, or being a petty vendor, domestic worker, etc.
Salaam Nalini Jameela for speaking from your heart! Thank you Population First for being diverse in your approach!
Gardeishewaqt ka kitna bada ehsaan hai aj…Ye zamin chand se behtar nazar atee hai humein…!
( I am so grateful to the bad times that I find my self in, it has made me more attentive to the life on ground than that on the lofty moon.)
15th Oct
AaaEee Anjali wins Ladli award.
The Laadli Media Awards honor, recognize and celebrate the efforts of those in media and advertising who highlight pressing gender concerns. It was organized by Population First, a communication and advocacy initiative along with United Nations Population Fund. This year, along with few others, Nalini Jameela and AaaEee Anjali team won the award. AaaEee Anjali is a show on Transvision, a youtube channel. This youtube channel was started by Rachana and others as a platform to dispelling myths that many cis people have about around the transgender community.
10th Oct
Arrest Venkat
Venkat is a rowdy sheeter. He has on several occasions harassed, abused and even allegedly murdered Prabalika, a transwoman from Hyderabad. Even though there are several charges against this man, the police department has not taken serious steps to stop him as most of the complainants were transwomen.
3rd Oct
#Metoo India
Tans sex workers and survivors of Venkats sexual harassment stand by Tanushree Dutta
16th Oct
Feelingalone
Hello #metoo movement, could you please tell me when will u say #transtoo
18th Oct
Feeling pained
#Metoo #transtoo
History owes us an apology for centuries of sexual harassment, rape and perpetual ostracism from justice.
19th Oct
Feeling heartbroken
Are transgender people’s gang rapes, acid attacks, murders not gruesome crimes committed with highest viciousness?
25th oct
Feeling angry
It is the same Bramhinical patriarchy that legitimizes the sexual harassment of women and trans people. All the way!
Rachana extends her support to the women who spoke out against their harassers in the #Metoo movement, however at the same time she is skeptical about how relevant this movement is going to be for transgender women. In the above post one can see the complex set of emotions that a movement like #Metoo, triggers in Rachana. She understands the relevance and the urgency in the accounts of the largely privileged women but at the same time feel left out of the scope of the movement.
27th oct
Feeling pained
Azeem mere lal …
8 yrs old Madrasa student beaten to death by Hindutva goons in Begumpur area of Malvia Nagar, Delhi.
She laments the meaninglessness of ideals of toxic masculinity that led to the killing of a young boy in the hands of other young boys in Delhi. The incident refers to a fight that broke out among two groups of boys over the use of a vacant plot of land for playing cricket. Bystanders did nothing to stop the
fight and in fact encouraged and cheered one group while making fun of the others clothing and skull caps.
3rd Nov
Historical moment for Telangana Women and Trans Movements.
Women and Transgender peoples’ Joint Action Committee released their Inclusive Manifesto for the coming elections. In the manifestos it includes issues of Dalit Women, Adivasi women, Muslim women, women farmers, women from unorganized sector, women in handloom , women in journalism, migrant women in house construction, women in domestic work, women who gone abroad for work, single women, women with disabilities, women with no shelter, girls from minority communities, transgender women and children with no parents, and so on. All put forth their demands regarding Political Representation, Education, Public Health, Against Violence, Safety and Security, Control of Liquor , Agriculture, Environment and Natural resources and Inter-Caste Marriages special Act.
A big thanks to all the Women Comrades from the Telangana Transgender Community that you all stood with us and made this historical moment possible.
A group of 30 associations working on women and transgender issues, along with several academicians and activist formed a Joint Action Committee. This committee held consultations and arrived at a manifesto of Women and Transgender people for the Telangana Legislative Assembly elections that were held on 7th Dec, 2018.
17th Nov
Shares a link – Sampoorna calls for community participation in Transgender Day of Rememberance
Sampoorna is a group for Trans and intersex Indians. Transgender Day of Rememberance is observed on 20th November to honour the memory of those who died due to systemic and structural transphobic violence. It started in 1999 as a web based project to memorialize the gruesome murder of Rita Hester in Massachusetts.
19th nov
In the words of Margaret Atwood, “We (society) still think of a powerful man as a born leader and a powerful woman as an anomaly”…
And here is a powerful Transwoman leader ChandramukhiMuvvala, now contesting as a Member of legislative Assembly, from Goshamahal Constituency , Hyderabad Telangana, India on behalf of Bahujan Left Front. She is just not only challenging the stereotypical leadership roles but also challenging the vote bank politics, demanding Transgender people’s rights that remain untouched till today…!
Bravo..! Jai Bheem ..! Jai Saavithri…!—
22nd Nov
With our Bahujan party leader Chandramukhi, Don’t forget our symbol… cast your own vote to Farmer with plough symbol.
Jai Bheem…Jai Savitribai…!
Chandramukhi is a transwoman activist. She contested in Telangana Legislatie Assembly elections that were held on 7th Dec, 2018 election from Goshamahal constituency as a representative of Bahujan Left Front, Telangana.
22nd Nov
Feeling hopeful
More power to Sujatha Surepally contesting the elections as a part of BSP (Bahujan Samaj Party).
She also shows her support for Bahujan Samaj Party candidate, Dr. Sujatha Surepally, a Dalit academician and activist from Karimnangar.
22nd Nov
So the latest update on Adhaar uid.gov have no option for transgender.
This was a post about two transwoman who went to get their Adhaar Cards, but to their utter surprise found out that the form no longer has (T) Transgender as an option, unlike before.
22nd Nov
Feeling peaceful
Watch carefully the magic that occurs by giving a person enough time and comfort to be themselves.
-To kill a Mockingbird
Rachana share a quote from To Kill a Mocking Bird, a novel by Haper Lee that explores racism of 1930’s United States. Interestingly, though her posts are more often than not political, she often borrows arguments and rhetoric used in literature to arrive at that.
30th Nov
Feeling strong
Injuries make movements wise and strong
1st Dec
Feeling Hopeful
Movements include fights, jealousy, arguments, faith, tears & disagreements the real spirit is how we deal them to sustain humanity.
Chandramukhi was kidnapped on 27th November early morning, 11 day before the Legislative election. Fearing her well-being, she was reported missing to the police soon enough. The state does not always directly mete out violence towards transgender people. Often they play the role of silent spectator, and do nothing when acts of violence are committed against them, this case being no exception. However, she managed to escape from her captors and returned to Hyderabad on 29th morning. Rachana expresses this sentiment after Chandramukhi’s safe return. The same day, she also posts pictures of herself in a public procession rallying for Chandramukhi.
And thus, goes on her struggle against oppression with few but significant successes on her way. Her strength and patience to find solidarity among sometimes seemingly disparate voices is what makes her so effective and relevant. Thank you Rachana for being so awesome.