Fake ones a security threat, say Hijras

Hyderabad: The gangs that pretended like transgenders are running amok in the city. The ‘fake Hijras’ are not only forcibly collecting money from pedestrians and motorists at busy roads and circles but also committing several crimes such as prostitution, robberies and forced gender change surgeries.

Speaking to media persons here on Wednesday, the members of Hijra Transgender Welfare Society have warned that the problem is growing out of the proportions. They said some greedy men, who have proper families, were dressing up like eunuchs and committing several crimes in an organised fashion.

Speaking on this occasion, president of Suraksha Society for LGBT rights, G. Krishna said the fake Hijras were forcing children and youth from poor families to undergo castration surgery and become eunuchs. “They are funding these surgeries and later collecting it by forcing them into begging, flesh trade and micro financing at high-interest rates,” he explained.

Many of such youth who were trapped into the heinous trade have committed suicide as there was no other way for them to escape from the clutches of the mafia, he averred. He said a gang of seven members, which is running this rocket in the city, has been arrested by the city police recently and he urged the police to slap strong cases against them and see that they wouldn’t have an easy escape this time.

Another member of the society, Shabeera said people were afraid of counterfeit eunuch gangs as they were creating the nuisance on roads and at busy junctions with their ‘forcible begging’ and vulgar acts. She said they were genuine Hijras following a sacred tradition. “We have morals and don’t collect money forcibly on roads.

These anti-social elements are posing a danger to the society. Police should take stringent action against the mafia otherwise they would destroy the society”, she said. About 150 members of the society have attended the event.