KARACHI: A moderator can really make or break a session, is a constant refrain one hears during literature festivals. But what if there is no moderator. Yes, this is what precisely happened at the session titled ‘Transgender rights: are there any?’ during the 7th Karachi Literature Festival on Saturday.

Eminent panellists such as Khawar Mumtaz, former chairperson of the National Commission on the Status of Women, Bindiya Rana of the Gender Interactive Alliance Pakistan, Indian transgender activist Lakshmi Narayan Tripathi and writer and journalist Reema Abbasi were there, but the moderator Aasim Sajjad Akhtar was nowhere to be seen.

Finally when it became clear that he was a no-show, it fell upon Ms Mumtaz to take upon the role, which was a pity as the long-time activist could have added so much more to the discussion which, by the way, was constantly taken over by Ms Tripathi, who was thoroughly enjoying all the adulation the audience was showering on her bold and risqué statements.

Ms Mumtaz began the discussion by asking everyone in the panel to talk about the struggles faced by the transgender community. Reema painted a bleak situation saying that Pakistan was light years away from making any progress on transgender rights. “How the community is alienated we don’t realise. This is the most vulnerable segment of society. Be it the custodian of law, legislators, educational institutions, employment opportunities. They are not safe anywhere.”

She called for major societal and official reforms. She also castigated media persons, particularly for the language they use when addressing transgenders. “Media also plays a part when they use the term she-male. In my mind that is a little derogatory. Transgender is what we are looking at.”

At this point Reema asked Bindiya to talk about her daily struggles but Ms Tripathi, attired in a beautiful cream, gold-bordered sari, jumped in and told the audience that the Indian transgender community was inspired by the Pakistan Supreme Court judgement which ruled that transgenders have the same rights as enshrined by the Constitution, including the right to inheritance. “Even Nadra has included a third box for transgenders in CNICs,” added Ms Mumtaz.

When Bindiya was asked to speak about her struggles, she chose to talk about lives of the transgender community in Pakistan since the SC judgement. “Nothing has happened in terms of implementation. When we go to Nadra [for CNICs], they ask us to get our school certificates, identity cards of our parents. But we are unable to complete our education, we leave our families and are looked after by our gurus, so where will we get these documents?”

About employment opportunities, she said that only 17 transgenders had been given jobs by the Sindh government. She added that if the government thought it had done its job, it should be ashamed of itself. “The number of jobs given to us is too small to make any difference. This is why so many of us continue to beg on the streets and sell our bodies. We have to pay the rent of our homes, feed ourselves, look after our families and we need a regular income.”

Ms Tripathi highlighted the achievements made by transgenders in India. However, she said a lot needed to be done on their behalf. And that included sensitisation of the police, a non-discrimination policy by the state, societal awareness and involving transgenders in constructing policy frameworks.

Published in Dawn, February 7th, 2016

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