STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: It has come to light that while the presence of transgender persons in public places has witnessed a perceptible increase in recent times, yet not all of them are what they seem to be.
Along with many other parts of the State, it has become a common sight to see transgenders assembling in groups and asking for money from people in most public places in Guwahati.
Till a few years ago, groups of transgenders were only seen in public when some families used to invite them to their homes to seek blessings for newborn infants or newly-married couples.
However, now groups of transgenders can be easily spotted in and around the city. Most get on city buses asking for money from passengers on the pretext of giving blessings or standing in the many lanes and by-lanes of the city. Many transgenders even forcibly demand money from people, particularly men.
The transgender community has always remained in the shadows, struggling to get equal status in the society.
Now, to make matters worse, a new threat to their identities has emerged in the form of fake transgenders, who dress up like them and bully the public for money.
Activist Swati Bidhan Baruah said, "The number of fake transgenders is on the rise in Guwahati and because of them the genuine ones are facing many difficulties."
She said that around 2,000 to 2,500 transgenders are original residents of the city, while around 1,000 to 2,000 others are from other parts of the State like Dhubri, Mankachar and Mangaldoi.
Baruah said that it is a matter of concern that many imposters are posing as transgenders to collect money from the public. As a result, the population of transgenders, including fake ones, is gradually increasing in Guwahati, which is in stark contrast to other parts of the State.
According to a transgender, they get mixed responses from people. While some people gift money willingly, others do not. The transgender denied that they ever bully people for money.
Be that as it may, it is clear that a concerted effort has become necessary to weed out the fake transgenders from the city as they also increasingly becoming a nuisance in public places.
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