PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Dehradun
The Municipal Corporation of Dehradun’s (MCD) decision to cap the “badhai” amount at Rs 5,100 has triggered mixed reactions in the city. While the residents welcome the move, the members of the transgender community say that it would increase their livelihood challenges.
Many of the residents this correspondent spoke to said that the decision was long overdue. “There was always uncertainty. You never knew how much you would be asked to pay and refusing often led to arguments,” said Shivani Kori, adding that the cap brings some clarity and relief. She also pointed out that even Rs 5,100 is a big amount for a middle-class family. She wondered why the congratulatory amount had been fixed at all. “It should have been left to the people instead. We should have been allowed to pay whatever we are comfortable with; we should not have been coerced,” she added.
Another resident, who recently hosted a family function, said that such visits often turned stressful. “It is not about not paying them, but the demands are often too high,” he said.
The transgender community, settled in the city, however, has struck a different note, saying that the amount had been fixed without consulting them. Anushka Chauhan, a member of the community said, “This is not just about money, it is a part of our traditional way of earning. You can’t fix a rate like this without even speaking to us. Every household and occasion is different and so the amount may vary.”
Another transgender, Aditi Sharma supported the cap and said: “There are people who misuse the system.”
Some also questioned how the rule would be enforced. “Who will monitor this and what if someone gives more willingly?” another community member asked.
Queried over the mode of its implementation, the municipal commissioner, Namami Bansal said that a framework would be worked out soon.
