Karnataka Transgender Task Force flags survey flaws, demands door-to-door enumeration

Bengaluru: The Karnataka Transgender Task Force (KTTF) has raised serious concerns over discrimination and structural challenges faced by the transgender community during the state government’s ongoing socio-educational survey, which commenced on September 22.

The KTTF, led by transgender activist Akkai Padmashali and members Sowmya, Christy, Rakshitha and Shruthi held a meeting at SCM house on Monday with members of the hijra community and other gender minorities to consolidate feedback on the enumeration process. The primary challenge cited was the mandatory requirement for transgender persons to report to assigned places, primarily district hospitals, for registration.

Speaking on the challenges of institutional bias, Padmashali stated that even basic interactions remain humiliating for community members. “If we go to government hospitals, they make us wait and go around. They treat us very badly and act like outcasts,” she noted.

Another transgender activist, Christy, voiced concern over the short window and lack of government sensitivity to the community’s diverse structure. “The government doesn’t know the various communities amongst us, and within 45 days, they are trying to collect the census data survey,” Christy said, alleging discrimination. She emphasised that the mandatory nature of visiting assigned centres has been difficult.

Trans woman Meena, also highlighted the practical issues for those living in community houses. “We are 25 people in a residence. It’s difficult for us to go and enumerate ourselves at the hospital. For other citizens, they come to their homes and conduct surveys; similarly, why can’t they come to our homes?” she questioned. 

The meeting revealed that in Bengaluru alone, the community is organised into seven distinct ‘houses’ or ‘classes’, whose needs are often overlooked in blanket policy implementation.

The core demand from the meeting is the immediate expansion of the enumeration methodology. Padmashali confirmed that formal recommendations have been submitted to the Deputy Commissioner and Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh.

“What we now need is: those who can go to the hospital may go and enumerate themselves, but for those who cannot, the government should expand the survey to their organisations, and a door-to-door survey should be immediately implemented,” she asserted.