<p>Kalki Subramanian and Rose Venkatesan are in the opposite political camps with the former a DMK party aspirant and the latter hoping for a DMDK ticket.<br /><br />Their camps may be different but their goals remain one -- to work for bringing the transgender community into the mainstream and provide them a decent livelihood with suitable vocational training.<br /><br />"Political representation is the best route for the welfare of minority communities like transgenders," Rose told IANS when asked about the reason for such political aspirations.<br /><br />Asked whether she would represent the transgender community after undergoing a sex change operation to become a woman last year, she said: "First I am an Indian, then a Tamilian, then a woman of transgender origin."<br /><br />Rose and Kalki are clear about their agenda when they would get to contest the elections and win them.<br /><br />"I will push for free education for transgender children and adequate employment opportunity for the community," said Rose, an aspirant for DMDK's Karur constituency. <br /><br />"I will also push for government financial assistance for families having transgender children. This will to some extend prevent them from turning out their transgender child," she said.<br /><br />Kalki, who wants to contest for Pollachi constituency, said: "I will make the state's transgender welfare board more active. There should be an educational institution for transgender children." <br /><br />"I will also focus on providing livelihood training for transgenders," she added.<br />Kalki said as a legislator she would also focus on campaigning nationwide for gender identity for transgenders in education and employment.<br /><br />"I will focus my energies on having laws on children who have gender identification problem," Kalki said.<br /><br />Both of them declare that they will not be a legislator for just the transgender community alone.<br /><br />Educationally well-qualified, both Rose and Kalki articulate their views very well and forcefully.<br /><br />Rose is a mechanical engineer with a master's degree in biomedical engineering from the Louisiana Tech University in the US. She has hosted television shows for Vijay TV and Kalaignar TV.<br /><br />Kalki -- the founder and director of the Sahodari Foundation that works for social and economic empowerment of transgenders -- is a double post-graduate degree holder.<br /><br />She is also the first Asian transgender activist to be invited to take part in the International Visitors' Leadership Programme (IVLP) held in the US last year.<br /><br />Agreeing that contesting elections are a costly affair, Kalki and Rose are hoping to get support from their well wishers.<br /><br />Rose said: "I have been assured support by several well-to-do well wishers if I get the party's nod to contest from Karur." <br /><br />As to why she chose to join DMDK, she said: "The DMK did not support the transgender community in right earnest. The government set up a welfare board for transgenders only after a case was decided in our favour by the Madras High Court."<br /><br />According to her, the government found that the transgender community could be a vote bank and took some actions like the formation of welfare board.<br /><br />"On the other hand, the AIADMK government had given appointment orders for three transgenders. Now DMDK is in alliance with the AIADMK and I am confident that more action will be taken for the minority community," Rose said.<br /><br />Kalki's father is an active DMK person and her cousin was the party's candidate for the Pollachi constituency last time.<br /><br />According to Kalki, it was the DMK government which is doing a lot for the transgender community like the issuance of ration card, formation of welfare board and also declaring April 17 as the transgender day.<br /><br />She said Chief Minister M.Karunanidhi, Deputy Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and MP Kanimozhi are genuinely interested in transgender welfare.<br /><br />About their family's reaction to their decision, Kalki said: "We design our own destiny. Having said that my family members are supportive of my decision."<br /><br />She said her family has always been supportive of the DMK party. For Rose, if she gets the DMDK ticket and wins the elections it could be a turning point for her personally as her family might accept her back.<br /><br />After her sex change operation, she has been living separately as her family was not able to cope with the fact.<br /><br />"I visit my family regularly. They are positive about my decision to contest the elections," she said.<br /><br /><br /><br /></p>
<p>Kalki Subramanian and Rose Venkatesan are in the opposite political camps with the former a DMK party aspirant and the latter hoping for a DMDK ticket.<br /><br />Their camps may be different but their goals remain one -- to work for bringing the transgender community into the mainstream and provide them a decent livelihood with suitable vocational training.<br /><br />"Political representation is the best route for the welfare of minority communities like transgenders," Rose told IANS when asked about the reason for such political aspirations.<br /><br />Asked whether she would represent the transgender community after undergoing a sex change operation to become a woman last year, she said: "First I am an Indian, then a Tamilian, then a woman of transgender origin."<br /><br />Rose and Kalki are clear about their agenda when they would get to contest the elections and win them.<br /><br />"I will push for free education for transgender children and adequate employment opportunity for the community," said Rose, an aspirant for DMDK's Karur constituency. <br /><br />"I will also push for government financial assistance for families having transgender children. This will to some extend prevent them from turning out their transgender child," she said.<br /><br />Kalki, who wants to contest for Pollachi constituency, said: "I will make the state's transgender welfare board more active. There should be an educational institution for transgender children." <br /><br />"I will also focus on providing livelihood training for transgenders," she added.<br />Kalki said as a legislator she would also focus on campaigning nationwide for gender identity for transgenders in education and employment.<br /><br />"I will focus my energies on having laws on children who have gender identification problem," Kalki said.<br /><br />Both of them declare that they will not be a legislator for just the transgender community alone.<br /><br />Educationally well-qualified, both Rose and Kalki articulate their views very well and forcefully.<br /><br />Rose is a mechanical engineer with a master's degree in biomedical engineering from the Louisiana Tech University in the US. She has hosted television shows for Vijay TV and Kalaignar TV.<br /><br />Kalki -- the founder and director of the Sahodari Foundation that works for social and economic empowerment of transgenders -- is a double post-graduate degree holder.<br /><br />She is also the first Asian transgender activist to be invited to take part in the International Visitors' Leadership Programme (IVLP) held in the US last year.<br /><br />Agreeing that contesting elections are a costly affair, Kalki and Rose are hoping to get support from their well wishers.<br /><br />Rose said: "I have been assured support by several well-to-do well wishers if I get the party's nod to contest from Karur." <br /><br />As to why she chose to join DMDK, she said: "The DMK did not support the transgender community in right earnest. The government set up a welfare board for transgenders only after a case was decided in our favour by the Madras High Court."<br /><br />According to her, the government found that the transgender community could be a vote bank and took some actions like the formation of welfare board.<br /><br />"On the other hand, the AIADMK government had given appointment orders for three transgenders. Now DMDK is in alliance with the AIADMK and I am confident that more action will be taken for the minority community," Rose said.<br /><br />Kalki's father is an active DMK person and her cousin was the party's candidate for the Pollachi constituency last time.<br /><br />According to Kalki, it was the DMK government which is doing a lot for the transgender community like the issuance of ration card, formation of welfare board and also declaring April 17 as the transgender day.<br /><br />She said Chief Minister M.Karunanidhi, Deputy Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and MP Kanimozhi are genuinely interested in transgender welfare.<br /><br />About their family's reaction to their decision, Kalki said: "We design our own destiny. Having said that my family members are supportive of my decision."<br /><br />She said her family has always been supportive of the DMK party. For Rose, if she gets the DMDK ticket and wins the elections it could be a turning point for her personally as her family might accept her back.<br /><br />After her sex change operation, she has been living separately as her family was not able to cope with the fact.<br /><br />"I visit my family regularly. They are positive about my decision to contest the elections," she said.<br /><br /><br /><br /></p>