The life of the other: Hungry and helpless

NEW DELHI: Anita and nine of her friends visit the houses of newly married couples and new parents to earn their livelihood. Before the pandemic, people happily gave them the money they demanded considering them auspicious on such occasions. But in the new scenario, they are increasingly being turned away.
Rani (all names have been changed on request) claimed to be depressed because she had no other source of money and nobody accepted her in her family. Like Anita and Rani, there are thousands of transgenders in the city who are feeling hapless in the era of the novel coronavirus. Earlier, they performed at weddings and celebrations, sought alms on the city streets, even engaged in commercial sex to feed themselves. Now they are struggling.
“During the lockdown, there were occasions when we went to sleep hungry because we had no food and no money to buy food,” said Komal. “When the lockdown was announced, I had Rs 7,800 and a few food items in the house. As time passed, my daughter and I consumed everything, spent all our money and now we are trying to cope with the situation.”
Komal said that driven by desperation, she gathered courage and went out to the road junctions as earlier to beg. But, she said, people rolled up their car windows as soon as they saw her approaching, fearing she might be infected. “People fear our curses, but these days their lives are more important than any belief in such things. So they rebuff me every time I knock on their windows. I wear a mask and gloves, but that is of no help with the people,” she said.
Namrata worked at a beauty store in west Delhi, but after exhausting her savings, she was left with no option but to go back to her parents’ house in north Delhi, where her family members are contemptuous of her gender choice. “People say demeaning things about the way I live, and this leaves me so miserable. That is why I was living away from my family,” Namrata said.
Her friend Surbhi, who dances at weddings and events, said that with marriages and celebrations out of people’s agenda now, she isn’t making any money. She worries that things will not get back to normal any time soon.
“We know that people are apprehensive about us possibly carrying the virus and wouldn’t want us at their homes for our dhol-tamasha. In fact, we too don’t want to be blamed for spreading infection, so we are avoiding attending any events for the time being,” said Surbhi. “I couldn’t consider switching to commercial sex but even that isn’t happening. I just hope someone notices our plight. Our fears and worries are going unheard, unnoticed.”