You are the District Magistrate in a district where a significant number of transgenders reside. While discrimination against the community is well known, commuters increasingly complain of harassment at their hands, especially at traffic junctions where transgenders are mostly involved in begging. This, at times, also leads to traffic management issues. You have received a number of complaints in this regard and have to act quickly to resolve it. However, a group of transgender associations argue that begging is their only source of livelihood. Given the situation, answer the following questions: (a) Describe the ethical issues involved in this case. Discuss the attitude of people towards transgenders in general and reasons for the same. (b) What possible courses of action can be undertaken in such situations? Discuss their merits and demerits.

(a) Ethical issues involved in this case

(i) Empathy vs Rule of law As a discriminated lot one needs to be empathetic towards this section but the rule of law also need to be established as begging is a crime.

(ii) People prejudices vs individual expression Transgenders are born in such a way and they don't have any problem with that. It is their freedom to express but societal prejudices make these people downgraded ones or cursed ones.

(iii) Duty of state vs failure of it Rousseau social contract talks about the responsibility of state. But here the state has failed to provide them adequate ways of living a healthy life.

(iv) Legality vs Ethicality SC recognized the gender as 3rd gender but still people discriminate due to prevailing morals.

• Attitude of people towards them in general.

• Untouchables and are considered as cursed.
• Mainly beggars or people who come to weddings for asking money.
• Fear is also there that if they curse the people it gets real.
• Poverty and debt ridden, mainly involved in prostitution or begging.

Reasons for the same

• Societal morals which only consider male and female genders as right one.
• Religious morals which consider these people as one who have committed sin in their earlier lives.
• Failure of state to take necessary steps to make their lives better.

(b) Possible courses of action

• Begging is a crime, put them in jail. Merit

• Commuter harassment will stop

• Free flows of traffic

• Upholding rule of law. Demerit

• Not being empathetic to them

• This could worsen the situation.

• Ask the officials at junctures to keep vigil and thwart any such activity Merit

• Free flow of traffic

• They will be removed Demerit

• No alternate source of livelihood

Option that I will take.

• First I will ask the authorities to make a list of all such transgenders in the district.
• After that I will arrange a meeting with them calling their leaders and group members.
• I will ask them to give up begging as it is a crime and against the principles.
• In return I will assure them of alternate livelihood and opportunities. I will ensure SC directive is followed for positive discrimination against transgenders.
• EWS quota of 25% in education
• Schemes of rehabilitation could be used
• Self help groups could be made for employment.
• Government schemes like MGNREGA, PDS could be used for them.