SDM College of Business Management Holds Workshop on Know your Rights
Mangaluru: The SDM College of Business Management held a workshop on ‘Know your Rights’ at the college auditorium here on February 19.
The programme began with an invocation. Student of SDM College Shreya welcomed the gathering. The programme was inaugurated by the Commissioner of MCC Ajith Kumar Hegde along with other dignitaries on the dais by lighting the traditional lamp.
Addressing the gathering President of DK District Consumer Federation M J Salian said, “First of all we have to maintain our punctuality. Anyone who does not observe discipline and punctuality they have a problem. We must understand that students are most important, they are the future of the nation. All of you should experience what is happening in government offices. This is the time to know your rights and also understand them. I request all the government officials and leaders to be punctual in their work. When we are addressing the students we should be punctual.”
Salian further said, “Today we will have a workshop “Know your rights”, and also about the life of transgenders. Violet Pereira is helping the transgenders through Parivarthan Charitable Trust, we should all respect transgenders as they too are humans. I want all of you to understand that transgenders are part of society. They are human beings like all of us. How do we treat them? The mental agony they undergo every day of their life! Whenever we see transgenders we should consider them as human beings and respect them.”
Addressing the gathering Ajith Kumar Hegde said, “We are marching towards progress. You should know our rights along with our responsibilities. When you do your duties with integrity, no one will snatch your rights. We eat the same food, we drink the same water and we live on the same earth then why do we fight in the name of religion? All are not bad or all are not good, when we do good and respect others we will be loved by others. We should respect the transgenders. We take good care of the dogs and even allow them to sleep on our beds but we do not want to listen to the problems of transgenders. Jesus said to love your neighbours, if you love your neighbours, we can make this earth a better place to live. Many are doing research on transgenders but only research about them will not solve their problems. Instead, we need to lend our helping hand to those who work for the betterment of the transgenders”.
The principal of SDM College of Business Management Aruna Kamath delivered the presidential address.
I am from Dandeli, my name was Ganesh. You must be wondering how Ganesh become Sanjana? I was born as a boy and when I was in 6th standard I had the feelings that I was a girl. I began to like feminine features features and wanted to be one. At the same time I was very much afraid of my father as he was very strict. One day when I was wearing my mother’s dress my father caught me red handed and thrashed me. Later I decided to change my sex through surgery. I studied till 10th standard in my home town but was being harassed by everyone. One day when I went to the girls toilet in my school the headmistress punished me severely. After 10th standard I left home and went to Bengaluru where I met the transgender community. There I had a very tough time to earn money for my surgery. Even though I did not have any experience of begging or sex work, I was forced to beg and involve myself in sex work so that I could give money to my guru. Finally when I was able to save Rs 1 lakh I underwent surgery and changed my sex. Since then I become Sanjana.
Sanjana further said, “Because of the harassment in Bengaluru, after my surgery I came to Mangaluru. In the beginning, I had a very tough time here without proper place to stay and my life was miserable. We transgenders were treated very badly and were assaulted we did not have an identity in society. But one fine day we met Violet Pereira and she started a trust for us through which several programmes highlighting our plight were held. I request everyone to respect us as we too would like to live a normal life.”
Founder of Parivarthan Charitable trust Violet Pereira also spoke on the occasion. There was a face to face discussion and students cleared their doubts about transgenders. Student Coordinator Bhoomika delivered the vote of thanks.
