No more people of a lesser God, transgenders & challenged get a ‘fair’ space

Cuttack: They have always fought for their rights to get a place and prestige as individuals who are different. Some by birth, others by way of circumstance and some others by orientation. The fight still continues for many. However, things seem to look up for the transgenders as much as the challenged, when the system starts accepting them as they are and makes way for their empowerment.

In a welcome step, Cuttack District Administration has been allotting special area for stalls to be put up by people from both the sections during the week-long Bali Jatra. And taking advantage of the opportunity are members of the transgender community who are mostly selling products made by them, to a good response.

Speaking to odishatv.in, transgender Meethi Kinnar said, “Cuttack District Administration has helped us a lot. In 2016, we also put up stalls and after getting good response from the people we have brought various products this year too.”

Similar is the case with the differently-abled who have been getting a chance to put up stalls since 2011 with the support of self-help groups to sell their products in the fair.

“There were no stalls for differently-abled people in Bali Jatra. The administration took our demand seriously and allotted this place for us,” said physically challenged trader Prashant Sahoo.

“Its a very good step for the uplift of the transgenders as well as the physically challenged people. They are getting a scope to interact with others in this fair,” said Bramhanand Sahoo, a visitor.

There are 40 stalls in total, of which 10 have been allotted to the transgenders while the rest 30 are for the physically challenged.