Coimbatore: Transwoman Sangeetha(58), who was champion for the cause of transgenders, was murdered at her Coimbatore residence. The incident has caused grief among the TG community.
Coimbatore: Transwoman Sangeetha(58), who was champion for the cause of transgenders, was murdered at her Coimbatore residence. The incident has caused grief among the TG community.
The body was discovered in her one bedroom apartment, in a plastic drum used for water storage. Police arrived at the scene and started an investigation. Following this, sniffer dogs and fingerprint experts were called to the area to collect evidence. Three special teams have been formed to nab the killers.
An activist, humanitarian and a respected elderly of the trans community, Sangeetha ran a hotel, Covai Trans Kitchen, a recently begun but popular eatery. The hotel also employed twelve transgender people. The murder has shocked the entire transgender community. Sangeetha was considered to be a elderly trans person who has contributed to the transgender community in Tamil Nadu. She had been an active part of NGOs to promote welfare of transgender people in the State.
In this context, transgender transgender activist, artist, actress and writer Kalki Subramaniam has expressed her heartfelt homage to Sangeetha. Taking to her Facebook page, Kalki has released a video that not pays homage to Sangeetha, but touches upon the myriad issues that the TG community faces.
Kalki said, "Activist and entrepreneur Sangeetha amma was killed in Coimbatore in a cold-blooded manner. I believe that the investigation will go in the right direction and the court will punish the killers."
She says that in a society that lacks Gender equality the act of a man transitioning to a transgender is belittled and unaccepted. She laments, "This society is not a place for women and transwomen. It is a patriarchal society. Only when this plight changes, we can safeguard wonderful souls like Sangeetha Amma. Sangeetha amma was not just an ordinary transwoman. She was an elderly trans-person who has contributed a lot to the transgender community in Tamil Nadu. It is sad that she had lived in a situation where she couldn't protect herself. The main reason for this is the rejection that she faced from her family which forced her to leave her home and live alone."
Citing the sad demise of Sangeetha as an example to the misery that transgenders face, she implores, "Construct a protected society for women and transwomen. Our families should accept us. Don't reject us. What has happened to Sangeetha amma today shouldn't happen to anyone else in the future. We have to ensure Gender equality. Provide us all the opportunities to co-exist with our fellow human beings. This alone can be the long-term solution."