It's no news that the transgender community in our country has faced ostracisation and social stigma enough times to lose count. Sadly, they are excluded from various welfare programs, jobs, and were once, even excluded from simple government forms.?
So imagine such a community's plight at a time when a pandemic has left us stuck where we are. But like a prayer answered,?to make sure that the often neglected trans community does not face problems, The Lalit Group has been carrying out drives to distribute essentials and rations to transgender communities in the country.?
Journalist Faye D'Souza wrote about it on Instagram, ¡®During this lockdown @TheLalitGroup has been distributing ration to the Transgender Community who are otherwise left out of most welfare programmes.?Thank you for looking out for our trans brothers and sisters @keshavsurifoundation¡¯.?
The initiative to help the trans community has been taken by Keshav Suri Foundation.?
¡®In the wake of COVID-19 pandemic,?FICCI's Task Force on Diversity and Inclusion has made a representation to the government on the impact of ongoing health emergency on LGBTQ+ community and People with Disabilities which may be 'particularly vulnerable' to Coronavirus pandemic¡¯, the official page wrote in their Instagram page.?
The transgender community on its part has also been helping in all ways they can. In UP, 50 members of the community have been providing food to about 100 people each day.?
"There are several families who are daily wage workers and they depend on daily earning for food. We are serving food to them because we feel that serving humanity is the best service," Prema, a transgender reportedly said.?
The Delhi government last month announced that doctors and nurses at the frontlines of the COVID-19 battle will be paid to lodge at five-star hotels if they want to self-isolate.
The Lalit Hotels is one of the chains offering rooms to doctors and nurses if they wish to isolate themselves from their families. The official handle of the hotels shared a video of the staff welcoming medics with applause.?
Doctors of LNJP and GB Pant hospitals in Delhi will be put up at The Lalit where 100 rooms are booked by the state government.?
In Maharashtra, Tata group is being hailed for offering Taj hotels to doctors and nurses to self isolate in times when some of the medics are facing social stigma owing to their profession.?
At a time when the country is in crisis, it is imperative that everyone come together, especially for people facing social stigma, for the most pathetic reasons.?
Fb Image credit: Faye D'Souza