'Let the murals speak for the dignity of transgenders'

Theres no protest no placards no shouting of slogans rather a riot of colours A group of transgenders has come out on the streets to vent their emotions demand their rights and show their creative talents to the world through murals Its the outcome of the Chennaibased Aravani Art Project that documentary maker Poornima Sukumar started off as an experiment around two years ago little realising it would soon turn into a major platform for the transgender community to create a space for themselves in societyWhile working on the documentary I came across many from the transgender community and felt I should do something or give them a platform to speak up for themselves I have also been a mural artist so I plunged into something I was comfortable with Sukumar told IANS on the phone from ChennaiHow did the name come about Mythology has it that before the start of Mahabharatha war on the advice of Krishna the Pandavas decided to make a human sacrifice to ensure their victoryAravan one of the sons of Arjuna born to princess Chithrangadha volunteered to be sacrificed But he first wanted to get married Krishna takes the form of a woman Mohini and marries him And the next day Aravan offers himself for sacrifice And Aravan is one of the gods that transgenders worshipThe project currently functions with four members based in Chennai Mumbai Bengaluru and Pune who get the local transgender community involved in making murals Sukumar pointed out that Aravani Art Project is not just about professional mural artists instead they believe in creating a friendly working space for anybody who is interested to be a part of the team which has left its mark on the streets of Bengaluru Mumbai Jaipur Chennai Pune and even Colombo in Sri LankaTake Shanti a transgender and an activist from Bengaluru who was working as a radio jockey and going through a rough phase in her life She was looking for a medium to vent emotions that had been long suppressed And nothing could have brought more colour into her life than getting involved in the Aravani Art Project which gave her a chance to bring out her artistic aspect on the streets and wallsArt and activism can be combined which I call as artivism Art can certainly bring changes in peoples perception towards the community We dont believe in protests but silently raising voice against the so long persisting discrimination against us through art The society can see it and leaves an immediate impact on them Members of the transgender community are perceived as sex workers or beggars Shanti told IANS on the phoneLike Shanti Shonali has been associated with the project since its inception For her it was not just a chance to translate her imagination on the walls but also a mode to convey the need of awareness first among the transgender community and then in societyWe wanted to inform and make the community aware of their own capabilities Unless the transgenders become aware of their potentialities bringing change in the community wont be possible The community needs to know its strengths and perhaps then we can bring a change in our status Shonali told IANS on the phone from PuneIt was not an easy start for Sukumar when she began the project Her first challenge was to win the trust of the community and get them involvedWhen I discussed the idea with the transgenders they laughed at it didnt take it seriously I had to convince them that the project will help them to uplift their status in society she recalledEven while choosing the theme she had to ensure the collaboration of the community especially on the message they wanted to convey what to write on the walls and how a portrait would look as they even paint faces of transgendersThe themes are basically on the issues that the community faces We also try to highlight the culture of the community because its hidden and not many people know about it she addedChoosing the right wall is also an important aspect of the project as maximum visibility is requiredThe choice of areas or walls are a mixture of experiences Some we did not have a choice and took up what we got but mostly we have been lucky to get walls which are close to the places where transgenders reside and make it easier for them to spread awareness Sukumar notedBoth Shanti and Shonali pitched that no matter how progressive the country becomes people laugh and ridicule at transgendersAnd this is something that is difficult to overturn Even though the transgender bill on protecting their rights has been implemented acceptance is low in India Education and healthcare are important to the community but these are excluded Shanti lamentedArt can bring change Whenever people look at it they will at least think about the crisis that we face in our lives and might change their perspective towards us Shonali saidCatch up on all the latest Mumbai National and International news hereDownload the new midday Android and iOS apps to get updates on all the latest and trending stories on the go