Madurai: This pongal at Nedunkulam village where the famous Vuroram Puliamaram song in Paruthiveeram film shot, will see a group of transgenders taking part in their celebration.
The people of the village first came face to face with transgender in 2006, when the film song was shot there. Now the villagers have invited transgenders from various parts of the state recognizing their strengths, talents and abilities, to be guest for the pongal on January 15.
The district collector L Subramanian also agreed to participate in the event and honour them on the occasion. "When we first saw the transgender during the film shooting in our village, we felt shy to talk to them because of our preconceived notion against them as sex workers that are perpetuated in our society. But now they are role model for me," said Nadhiya (30) a leader of Self Help Group called Roja.
The villagers have now named the shooting area as Paruthiveeran pottal (fallow land) as a remembrance.
Nadhiya changed her perception after she met transgender Bharati Kannamma, also a Lok Adalat member from Madurai, when she visited their village to present awards to the SHG members a year ago. Despite the family disowned Bharati Kannamma, she struggled all through her life facing various discrimination in the society to come up to this level. "She contested for the mayor post in the last election too. Her story inspired me," said Nadhiya.
Similarly an encounter with a transgender child at Anna Nagar in Madurai has made Muthupalani (32), a leader of Amman SHG from the village to realize their talents. "When I went for a parent meeting to Anna Nagar, I was surprised to witness a mother encourage her 15-year-old transgender child to participate in all the international sports completion. The girl won various medals in the swimming competition," she said.
"If all the transgender children are given the similar opportunities, they will excel in their career like other children. Hence we farmers have decide to celebrate this pongal with them so that people would stop discriminating the transgender and give them equal opportunity in all spheres of life," said Muthupalani.
Kothandam (66), the headman of the village, said that transgender born in rich families are not disowned because they don't want to lose their properties. "If they born in the poor or middle class family, the parents feel embarrassed and discriminate them thinking that they can't bring economic prosperity for the family. But that is proven wrong now," he said adding that a transgender have become a police personnel and another become a film actress and newsreader in television channel.
Social activist S Vijayakumar (30) from the village, who is instrumental in organizing this progamme, said that the people mostly farmers in the village is showing eagerness to invite the transgender to their house. "This programme will definitely help to bring a positive change in the attitude particularly among youngsters not only our village, but nearly five villages in our area. We have also started distributed pamphlet in all the surrounding villages," he said.
Thanking the villagers for inviting them, Bharati Kannamma said that villager developed confidence on them after she helped them solve domestic violence and family dispute cases in the village through the district legal Aid. "I hope this event also change the mindset of the family members who desert their transgender children," she said.
