Over the past few days, Ekta Maheshwari, Deepika, Heer, and Ladoo have been fielding congratulatory calls from friends after they were invited as special guests to represent the transgender community at the Republic Day ceremony in Delhi.
The four are associated with the Garima Grih shelter home in Uttar Pradesh’s Gorakhpur and will be travelling to the national capital on January 24.
They are among 10,000 special guests from different walks — transgenders and beggars rehabilitated under PM SMILE (Support for Marginalised Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise) scheme; winners of World Athletic Para Championship; farmers practicing natural farming among others — who will be honoured for their contributions to nation-building.
According to officials, four transgender persons from Uttar Pradesh, along with four individuals from the state who have given up begging and started earning a living, have been invited as representatives of their community for change.
District Magistrate Deepak Meena confirmed that the four of them from Garima Grih in Gorakhpur have been selected as special invitees.
Ekta (39) is the director of the shelter home, which is funded by the central government.
As per the National Portal For Transgender Persons, the main aim of Garima Grih is to provide shelter to destitute and abandoned transgender persons with basic amenities like shelter, food, medical care and recreational facilities. Besides that, it will provide support for capacity-building, skill development.
About a month ago, Ekta said the organisation received an email from the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment seeking nominations of transgender persons from Garima Grih.
“After we sent the nominations, police verification was conducted by the Home Ministry. The final selection was then made [of the four of us],” Ekta said. The confirmation of selection was communicated by the Ministry of Social Justice.
Ekta said she left her hometown in Lakhimpur Kheri in her early 20s to study and train as a photographer, cutting off all ties with her family. In 2011, she founded the Ekta Sewa Sansthan to give an identity to transgenders based on their personal abilities and qualities.
Heer (20), a make-up artist, is saving up money to pursue her “dream career” in law and represent her community in the judiciary one day. She also holds awareness and counselling programmes for transgenders.
Ekta said Ladoo works with the Kalyan Sathi initiative of the Social Welfare Department, assisting in the implementation of welfare schemes, while Deepika (32), who hails from Deoria, is a make-up artist in Noida.
For all four, there is one regret — despite all their achievements, no one from their family is ready to accept them. “We all wish that someone from our family had called and said we are proud of you,” said Ekta.
“I left my family in Kushinagar two years ago. In villages, the situation for transgender persons is even worse than for women,” Heer said, adding, “… Families feel ashamed to accept us, so I left. I want to make something of myself and become an example for the entire society.”
“Acceptance has increased in the city but in villages, where we come from, there is only image of a transgender in the minds of people — ‘tali bajane wale, red light pe khade hue (those who clap loudly standing at traffic signals’,” added Ekta.
After years of struggle within her family, society and even her own community, she said there is finally a ray of recognition now.
Heer, Ladoo and Ekta Maheshwari will be travelling to the national capital on January 24 
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