Begging at traffic signals to directing traffic in Secunderabad: ‘Proud moment for me’

Nearly three months ago, Telangana had announced its decision to employ trans persons to manage traffic, along the lines of home guards in the police department. A government order was issued earlier in December 2024, announcing vacancies for 50 trans persons and their deployment as traffic assistants under a pilot project for six months.

In the last week of December, 39 trans persons joined the Hyderabad Traffic Police as traffic assistants. Before their induction, all new appointees passed a written exam, cleared all physical tests and underwent a 20-day training on manning traffic at key intersections across the city.

After they heard about the government’s announcement, Chinni says her family reached out to her “after 10 years”. An only child, she says she has been estranged from her parents, a farmer couple, for a decade — since she decided to move to Hyderabad for a gender reassignment surgery.

“I don’t have any plans of going back home, nor did they ask me to come back. All that my parents said over the call was that I should take care of myself, stop begging and do my job well,” says Chinni, who has been deputed to direct traffic from 8 am to 2 pm.

While she has been told that she will receive a stipend, she says she doesn’t know the amount. “I am waiting for my salary so I can pay my rent and for other expenses. I stopped begging after applying for this job, so I have not had any income for a while. Things have been a bit tight since then,” she says, adding that they have been told their extension after six months will depend upon their performance.

Chinni, who lives in a one-room house in Suraram, a locality in Hyderabad, says she pays a much higher rent compared to others. “While they pay Rs 4,000, my rent for the same accommodation is Rs 6,500 because of my gender. Landlords take advantage of our situation,” she alleges.

Talking about her transition, Chinni says she felt like a female ever since she hit puberty. Fearing judgement and rejection, she never shared her feelings with her parents. When she did eventually confide in some friends, all of them heckled her.

With no information or support to help her navigate her feelings, Chinni was at sea. Then, in Class 10, she met someone who felt the same and knew about the transgender community. “That friend put in touch with the transgender community in Hyderabad. After Class 12, nearly 10 years ago, I cut all ties with my family and moved to Hyderabad without a single penny in my pocket,” she says.

While she was uncertain about the move to Hyderabad, she eventually found a new family in the transgender community in the city. Over the next two years, Chinni says she begged at traffic signals daily to raise money for her reassignment surgery, which cost Rs 5 lakh six years ago. “I never told my parents about the surgery, but they found out somehow,” she says.

Over the next few years, Chinni says she tried to get other jobs. “I applied for a coolie’s job at a railway station, but they made fun of me and sent me away. The mismatch between the name and gender on my ID cards and in real life meant I could not get another job,” she says.

“I always wanted a government job, but there was no quota for trans persons. I never imagined that I would end up joining the police force,” she says.

Like Chinni, this opportunity has come as a lifeline for other trans persons too. Sana, who begged for nearly 20 years despite having a degree, says she didn’t waste a minute after hearing the announcement. “It is a golden opportunity. I hope more trans persons come forward to make use of such opportunities,” says Sana.

At the busy K B R National Park Junction in another part of the city, V Abhinetri, 22, was busy directing vehicles. Before her current posting, she worked with an NGO that works with trans persons. Elated over her new job, she says, “I feel proud to wear this uniform. It has given me an identity and dignity.”

Speaking to The Indian Express from the United States, Hyderabad Police Commissioner C V Anand says, “The idea for this scheme came from the government and the CM, who wondered how long we would push away a community for no fault of theirs and leave them with no source of livelihood. Since many trans persons are seen begging at traffic signals, it was decided to deploy them to manage traffic. Principal Secretary (Women and Child Welfare and Scheduled Castes Departments) Anita Ramachandran worked hard to make this scheme a reality. We took all trans person organisations into confidence, saying that they would be handheld through it all. They were encouraged to use this opportunity well, since this pioneering initiative was being watched by the whole country. Of course, there were challenges, but everything worked out in the end.”

Following the government announcement, 100 trans persons applied for the job. After the written exam and physical tests, 44 were selected for training. The number whittled down to 39 persons.

B K Rahul Hegde, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic-1) says a lot of effort was put into sensitising the existing traffic force before inducting the recruits. “We had to look at a lot of aspects, including toilets for our new recruits. We also sensitised the force about trans persons to ensure that they do not feel discriminated against. We are monitoring closely to understand the other challenges they face,” he says, adding that their training comprised basics of traffic management, use of e-challan system, etc.

Commissioner Anand says the new recruits were given the same uniform as home guards to ensure there was no discrimination. “All personnel have been told to treat the new recruits as their peers,” he adds.

A trans person deputed as a traffic assistant in Hyderabad adds, “This is an opportunity for us to prove that we can perform as well as men or women, and that we are inferior to none. While there still is a long way to go before society accepts us, this is the first step towards inclusivity.”