Begging ban pushes trans people into prostitution

LAHORE:

With everyday use commodities’ prices on the rise many, including the marginalized group of transgender individuals, are forced to panhandle on the streets to make ends meet but even that avenue has closed.

Traffic lights and roads have become a no go for those asking for alms ever since Punjab enacted a ban on begging. Resultantly, it has pushed transgender individuals towards prostitution. Zania Chaudhry, a resident of Lahore and representative of the trans community, while talking to the Express Tribune said that khwaja siras who used to run the house by dancing or singing at weddings had to stop due to virus-related lockdowns. “They were forced to beg but the government has shut that door as well, so there is little they can do now,” she said. Chaudhry stated that she was againt transgender involvement in begging and prostitution but the government should give the community alternative employment.

She believes that if the government does not take practical steps for the community’s welfare, not only will their economic problems increase but it will give birth to diseases as well. “I know a few people from the community who have recently delved into prostitution to satisfy their hunger. If the government does nothing to address their needs, it will increase the risk of sexually transmitted diseases like acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS),” she informed.

However, the community’s problems do not end there, some are wrongly accused of prostitution when they are just merely begging on the streets and face harrasment by the police. Nargis, who belongs to the Johar town area of Lahore, is such an individual. He along with two others were caught begging by the police near Karim Block a few months ago. “The police officers kept accusing us of prostituion and drug peddling, refusing to believe that we were just asking for alms,” Nargis narrated. He said that not only the police insulted them but also manhandled them during the drive to the police station.

While Nargis was released after several hours in confinement, others who face this treatment on a daily basis are not as lucky. “This has become a norm for our community now, even if we are in the market running errands they [police] automatically assume we are prostitutes and arrest us,” he lamented.

According to the representative of a non-governmental organization, working for transgender rights in Lahore, the only way to get trans individuals off the streets was by providing them vocational training, interest free loans, and job opportunities by declaring a quota. Neeli Rana, a local khwaja sira guru, concurring with the representative’s views, informed that the government had introduced some programs recently. “However, most of these projects, like financial assistance through Ehsaas, are out of our reach because we do not have identity cards and making those is a hassle itself due to the stringent requirements that most transgenders are not comfortable fulfilling,” he told The Express Tribune.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 2^nd, 2021.