You are showing what Kinnars are capable of doing by your deeds, this is a great service, PM tells Kalpana, a transgender from Mumbai
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi interacted with beneficiaries of the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra today via video conferencing. Thousands of beneficiaries of Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra from across the country joined the event. The programme was also joined by Union Ministers, MPs, MLAs and local level representatives.
The Prime Minister interacted with Kalpana Bai, a transgender from Mumbai who runs Sai Kinnar Bachat Self Help Group. Hers is the first such group in Maharashtra for transgenders. Narrating a challenging life story, Kalpana ji thanked the Prime Minister for his sensitivity. Kalpana ji recalled the tough life of a transgender and told the Prime Minister that she started the Bachat Gut after a life of begging and uncertainty.
Kalpana ji was initiated into basket making with the help of a government grant. She was supported by the Urban Livelihood Mission and SVANidhi scheme. She is also running idli dosa and a flower business. The Prime Minister light-heartedly asked about the prospect of pav-bhaji and Vada pav business in Mumbai which put everyone at ease. The Prime Minister explained to her the magnitude of her service to the society as her entrepreneurship is educating the people about the reality of transgenders and correcting the wrong image of Kinnars in the society. “You are showing by doing what Kinnars are capable of doing”, the Prime Minister complimented Kalpana ji.
Her group is providing transgender ID cards and encouraging the Kinnar community to take advantage of schemes like PM SVANidhi to start some businesses and leave begging. She expressed enthusiasm of the Kinnar community for ‘Modi Ki Guarantee ki Gadi’ and said she and her friends availed many benefits when the vehicle visited their area. PM Modi saluted the indomitable spirit of Kalpana ji and praised her for becoming a job provider despite having a very challenging life. “Our aim is to prioritize the deprived”, the Prime Minister added.