In the heart of Jaipur, what was meant to be a safe haven for the transgender community has become a symbol of governmental neglect and institutional apathy. The city's only exclusive shelter for transgender individuals, established in 2023, continues to operate through the sheer determination of its 30 residents rather than through meaningful municipal support.
A Shelter Running on Community Resilience
Located in Shastri Nagar's Doodh Mandi area, this year-round shelter presents a stark contrast to the seasonal night shelters operated by the Jaipur Municipal Corporation during winter months. While the government provided the land and building, the responsibility for every other essential service falls squarely on the residents' shoulders.
Five trans men and 25 trans women currently call this shelter home, managing everything from food and drinking water to cleanliness and basic upkeep without any financial assistance from the authorities. The visible neglect begins even before entering the premises, with the approach lane piled with garbage and the main security gate broken and unguarded.
Daily Struggles and Institutional Apathy
Tarun, one of the trans men residents, reveals the harsh reality of their existence. "No one comes to check how we live. JMC started the shelter but never arranged water or food. For the past 15 days, ever since temporary shelters were opened, we've been receiving food from Moti Doongri Temple. But tell me, how long can anyone survive on just puri and aloo ki sabji every day?"
The sanitation situation remains equally dire. Residents report that not a single sanitation worker has ever visited the facility, forcing them to clean everything from toilets to garbage themselves. A security guard was briefly posted but left months ago, leaving the residents vulnerable in an already unsafe neighborhood characterized by bus parking, a liquor shop, and groups of idlers who regularly harass them with vulgar comments.
Broken Promises and Safety Concerns
Auni Singor, a trans woman and gold medallist athlete, shares their frustrating experience with local officials. "We get no funds from the govt or the corporation. We pool money for food. For over a year, we used tanker water, which was extremely dirty. Recently, we gathered money to install a pipeline."
Four gold medallists currently reside in the shelter, their athletic achievements starkly contrasting with their living conditions. The group has filed written complaints with municipal officials, approached former councillor Manoj Mudgal, and even requested former mayor Kusum Yadav to visit. "She promised she would come in two days. It has been almost a year, but those two days never came," Singor recalls with disappointment.
The shelter's infrastructure problems extend beyond basic amenities. The sleeping hall contains small lockers, most of which are broken, with rats having burrowed deep holes into the locker walls. Several residents suffered rat bites, compelling the community to adopt two dogs for protection. During monsoon season, snake and scorpion intrusions become common occurrences, while the rat population far exceeds the number of human residents.
A Growing Community Fighting for Survival
The shelter's importance extends beyond mere accommodation. As Singor explains, "This space was started for ten people, today we are 30. Our numbers are growing. If we give away one hall, where will new members go? For us, this is not just a shelter, this is home. Children who are rejected by their families come here. We are their only support."
This statement came in response to JMC Heritage's request to convert one of the shelter's two halls into an additional night shelter, a move that would have further cramped the growing transgender community.
Employment discrimination compounds their housing struggles. Tarun highlights the particular challenges faced by trans men: "Trans women somehow manage to earn, but no one hires trans men. My family abandoned me. I'm educated and can work in an office, but everywhere I'm told, 'You're trans, how can we employ you?' I am undergoing hormone treatment now, but without a job, how will I afford medicines?"
Despite the recent arrival of winter blankets from the corporation, essential repairs and safety measures remain pending. The shelter that was created to offer dignity and safety to Jaipur's transgender community now stands as one of the city's most neglected spaces, running exclusively on the resilience, labor, and collective strength of the very people it was meant to protect.
