*MAIL POSTED ON BEHALF OF GIRISH KUMAR OF THE HUMSAFAR TRUST * *Protest against police harassment of MSM and Hijras*
* * On Monday, 20th of October 2008, police at Girinagar police station, Bangalore had arrested 5 Hijras. Further police arrested a team of volunteers involved in crisis intervention activities from Sangama, who approached police asking the reason for arresting Hijras. The Assistant commissioner of Police along with another Police Inspector threatened and stripped some of the activists in police station to check their gender. Members of dalit groups, sex workers groups, garment and textile unions and human rights groups reached police station were protesting outside the police station against this act of police, who were lathi charged and undergwent physical and sexual harassment. The whole group was produced before a magistrate after several calls and protests by lawyers and other activists and were finally released on bail in evening on Tuesday, 21st of October 2008. In Mumbai on Thursday, 13th of November 2008 the Queer Azaadi March group ( QAM ) called for a protest at Marathi Patrakar Sangh and later a public protest was held in Azaad Maidan. Tr. Gauri from Sakhi Charchoughi Trust, Mumbai, Sumati from Sangama Bangalore and Mr. Sunil Babu Panth from Blue Dimond Society, Nepal were invited to speak to the press. Anand Grover the noted lawyer from Lawyers Collective was present at the protest and took questions from the press as well as community on legal issues affecting their lives and moral policing of the state. The Bangalore incident was highlighted at the protest as it has send a wave of fear among the MSM, TG and Lesbian groups in the country. Some of the photographs of the protest can be viewed on the link given below http://picasaweb.google.com/girish.hst/ProtestAgainstBangaluruPoliceInMumbaiOnThursday13thOfNovember2008 Girish Kumar Humsafar Trust and QAM Volunteer
