Monday, May 29, 2006

from:(glbt-india) ARAVAANI [TRANSGENDER] MURDERED AT TIRUCHIRAPALLI, TAMIL NADU.

Aravaani [Transgender] Ms. Sudha was murdered at Trichy Hotel last night. It is learned that Sudha, a beautiful young aravaani was taken by a man aged about 30 to the Nathan lodge, opposite to Raja theatre, Madurai Road, Trichy and had sex with her.

At the midnight the room was not opened for a long time and the door was locked outside, the hotel staff peeped through the window on suspicion and was shocked to witness Sudha dead, bleeding in the bed and the man who accompanied was escaped. It is known that he has given bogus address in the hotel. The hotel manager immediately reported this matter to Fort Police Station, Trichy. Inspector Mr. Ravichandran and Sub Inspector Mr. Thanislaas came over there with a team of police constables, made enquires and sent Sudha's body to The Govt. Hospital, Trichy for post-mortem.

Following this, when the news reached the President of South India Aravaanigal Rights And Rehabilitation Center, Ms. Mohana, she gathered all local aravaanis and went to Trichy Govt. Hospital to show their protest. On getting the news, Mr. Jayakumar, the Director of 'Synegyitham' a social welfare organization [CBO], Annanagar, Thennur, Trichy reached the Govt. Hospital with a team of staffs and others. Director Jayakumar passed on the issue to other Aravaanis’ Associations and Human rights commission. He gathered information and took Mr. Vincent Jaykumar, the reporter of the daily ' ‘Theekkair’ and reporters of other local news papers, to G.H. campus, Trichy.

By the mean time, the Aravaanis, the MSM people and others gathered at G.H., Trichy, shouted against the issue and prevented Sudha's postmortem, claiming that they are not given due respects, their feelings are not honoured aravaani in TamilNadu, where as they are regarded as Goddess in North India. They added that they are the 'third gender' of this world and have all the rights equal to a man or woman. They uttered that God has cursed ones and they are leading a sincere and honest life in spite of their poverty.

They lamented that there were two murders taken place recently in Trichy and Sudha is the third victim. They said that no proper action has been taken so far against the accused. They said that they lost their hope and think that; no action will be followed for Sudha’s murder also. Neither police nor the government bothered about them. The government must understand their feelings first, then only the public will realize, they added.

The protest lead up to 4.00 pm. By the mean time, two strangers arrived there saying that they were the brothers of Sudha, claiming the dead body. The aravaanis and other people gathered over and other social welfare organizations enquired them and quite them off to running on knowing that they are fraud.

Synegyitham Director Mr. Jayakumar and Director Mr. Sundersingh had consultation with a lawyer and counseled the gathering. Police and the leaders of the social welfare organizations negotiated the talk and compromised the situation. The President Mohana and Director Jayakumar and others came down and accepted to have postmortem of Sudha, with the condition that they will fall in agitation with all their associations and sangams on 29.05.06 if proper and immediate action is not taken against the accused.

At the end, by the late evening, as ritual aravaani Geetha, the mother of Sudha wore white saree, cut off her ‘Thaali’, broken her bangles and lamented. The whole gathering badly wept like anything. The body of Sudha was taken to Trichy cremation yard and the body was cremated at about 7.00 pm.

It is proposed to have “Darna” in front of the collector office on 31st may 2006. The Human Rights activist, social workers, aravanis [Transgender] and MSMs from all over TamilNadu and outside of Tamil Nadu are expected to participate in the ‘Darna’. Before that Mr. Jayakumar will be meeting the District Collector to enlighten this issue.

Please Circulate this mail videly and give your solidarity.,

In Solidarity....,,

Snegyitham,
A-53 Ground Floor,
Park View Road,
Anna Nagar, Tennur,
Tiruchirapalli-620 017.
South Tamil Nadu.
Ph: +91 (0) 431 2794719.
E-Mail: snegyitham@gmail.com
snegyitham_trichy@yahoo.com