Madras HC directs Tamil Nadu government to vaccinate all transgenders within three months

The Madras High Court has directed the Tamil Nadu government that all transgender persons in the state should receive two doses of the COVID-19 vaccination within the next three months. The Madras HC took this huge step after a PIL filed by transgender activist Grace Banu. 

Banu asserted in the PIL that since the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019 and the statutory rules enacted hereof in 2020, many transgender people in the state did not have valid ID cards. Many have lost the validity of their existing ID cards while applying for a third gender ID card. 

After the PIL, the activist received financial assistance of rupees 4000 for Covid Relief of transgender people. This is even applicable for those who don’t have a ration card or ID card in Tamil Nadu. She says that there are more than 50,000 transgenders in the state, but only 11,000 are seen in the records. She even clarified that out of 50,000 only 2,541 have a ration card. 

 The PIL demanded specific Covid vaccination camps in Tamil Nadu for transgenders. Chief Justice Sanjib Bannerjee heard the case and ordered that all transgender people without ID cards should get assistance and establish a vaccination camp for them.  

On the other hand, before a bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Bannerjee and Justice Adikesavulu, attorney General of Tamil Nadu R Shanmughasundaram stated that the government had already released the first instalment of the Rs 2,000 COVID-19 relief fund to transgender people and that the second instalment would be released soon. 

Coronavirus in Tamil Nadu

On Sunday, the number of COVID-19 cases reported daily in Tamil Nadu increased for the fifth day in a row, with 1,990 new infections. The number of cases recorded increased in 19 areas compared to Saturday, while the remaining 19 districts observed a decline. The cities of Chennai and Coimbatore were among those that suffered a drop in population.

Image Credit: ANI