Bihar Pride Parade: Participants to raise demand for pension

Patna: The Pride Parade in the Bihar capital this week will see the transgender community pitching for a monthly pension as a social security measure.

The parade on July 14, to be organised by a Bihar-based NGO 'Dostanasafar', will have participants from Tamil Nadu, Manipur, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Mumbai and Karnataka.

Reshma Prasad, founder secretary of 'Dostanasafar', told PTI on Sunday that Pride Parade is organised in several states to celebrate and honour the Queer community.

"We will discuss and explore options to mount pressure on the Nitish Kumar-led Bihar government for providing a monthly social security pension to members of the third gender in the state. I have already written a letter to the Secretary (Social Welfare department of the state government) in this regard," said Reshma.

The July 14 event in Patna will culminate at Prem Chand Ranghshala, where several cultural programmes will be held and people belonging to the third gender will perform there.

"Through this event, we also raise awareness among the people belonging to the third gender about the rights of the transgender community. We have been organising this parade in Patna for the last 11 years. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we had organised a virtual parade," said Reshma.

The neighbouring state of Jharkhand recently announced that the state government would give Rs. 1000 monthly social security pension to transgender people.

Reshma said, "There are several states like Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Odisha and Manipur which are already giving social security pensions to people belonging to the third gender.

"Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh have announced that they would soon implement a pension scheme for the third gender people". Reshma is also an expert member of the National Council for Transgender Persons (NCTP) in Delhi.

The NCTP, established in 2020 under the provisions of the Transgender Persons (Protections of Rights) Act, 2019, is the statutory body of the Government of India, tasked with advising the government on all policy matters affecting transgenders.

Madan Sahni, Bihar Social Welfare Minister, told PTI, "The Bihar government has already launched several welfare schemes for the transgender people. As far as their request for the social security pension scheme is concerned, let me first go through their letter and discuss it with senior officials of the department. At present, I just cannot comment on this".

According to the 2011 Census, the total population of transgender people in Bihar is 40,827.

"Transgenders are neither physically nor mentally challenged. The only problem with us is that we don't have social acceptability. These initiatives will certainly benefit the entire community. It will open new ways for a dignified life for the community", said Reshma.