Six years, no progress: A look into Kerala’s much touted transgender person pension

December is the follow-up month at TNM where we go back to headlines of the past for a status update. In this series, we strive to bring focus back to promises made by governments, revisit official investigations that should have been completed by now and exhume issues of public interest that lost steam over time.

In the 2016 annual state budget, then newly elected Finance Minister of Kerala, Thomas Isaac, proposed a pension scheme for transgender persons above 60 years of age. A monthly pension of Rs 1000 was announced. Rs 10 crore was set aside in the budget for the pension and to fund NGOs working for the transgender community. Even back then, the budget announcement was considered invalid by many as the state already offers pension for those above 60, raising questions about the relevance of this particular announcement.

More than six years after the announcement, even after the Left Democratic Front (LDF) got a second term in government, the pension policy is yet to be launched. In fact, the Social Justice Department (SJD) in the state has hardly identified any transgender persons eligible for this pension. TNM takes a look into what happened to the policy that was announced with much fanfare.

“Kerala has pensions for all persons above 60 years. In that context, this particular announcement doesn’t make any sense. We have not received any requests from transgender persons aged above 60 for pensions either,” said an SJD officer. No instructions have been given to the district SJD offices regarding the transgender pensions till date.

However, the department is working on a proposal to implement health insurance for transgender persons above 40 years. “Many transgender persons approached us, seeking financial assistance for medical treatment. Some of them have health issues after 40, as an after effect of their surgery and hormone treatments. So, insurance is necessary, and we have decided to propose this along with the general pensions after 60 years,” an SJD officer said.

It was in 2015 that the Kerala Transgender Policy was brought in to ensure equal Constitutional rights for transgender persons. Since then, Kerala has been known as a transgender-friendly state, with the government announcing many schemes like health clinics, scholarships, and old age pensions, for their welfare. When the pension announcement was made in 2016, it was much hyped and applauded.

Scholarly studies have discussed how the transgender community lead a quality life in Kerala. But all such studies were done with subjects aged below 45 years. For instance, in a survey conducted by Sangama, a Bengaluru-based Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) working towards the welfare of gender minorities, submitted to theSJD, 95.98% of the participants were below 45 years. Activists also say that the number of transgender persons in the state who have come out is very few.

Syama S Prabha, transgender-cell coordinator of SJD, told TNM that a survey was conducted in the state recently. Once its report is published, a precise list of transgender persons 60 years and above will be available. “Currently, we have moved the demand to provide medical benefits to the people in the community above 40 years. Many transgender persons are struggling with health issues and financial troubles,” she said. A major share of transgender persons in Kerala came out after 2015 when the government’s policy came in to place. “Most of them are below 45 years. Hence, the insurance is the need of the hour,” Syama reasoned.

She added that there are very few persons above 60 years who have come out as transgender. “In our community meet-ups, very few, maybe two or three persons who are above 60, take part. Most of them have not come out as they have been living with their families, hiding their identities, for a long while now. But they keep in touch with us. They will not reveal their identity as their families even include grandchildren. They don’t have a transgender identity card. So a pension scheme for transgenders above 60 is not beneficial to many at this point of time,” she explained.