Well-known LGBTQ activist Gopi Shankar Madurai has recently survived the fourth attack in Mahabalipuram of Tamilnadu. Gopi Shankar Madurai was obstructed in the road by six goons when he was going for a post-dinner walk near his house at around 10 PM a few days ago. Gopi Shankar Madurai has claimed that these goons had some connection with the ruling party in the state – DMK and DMDK. He has said so because the vehicle in which the attackers reached there had stickers of DMK leader Y Gopalswami and other DMDK leaders.
Gopi Shankar was attacked three times before this incident. He has appealed for help to PM Modi, as he was not accompanied by the security persons despite being an endangered and active southern zone representative of the National Council for Transgender Persons which comes under the Union Ministry of Social Welfare and Justice.
Gopi Shankar Madurai has said in an interview that he was attacked while he was on his post-dinner walk near his house. The attackers in a car passing by approached him and obstructed his path. He said, “They asked me who you are and why are you walking on this road? I told him to ask his master who I am, as I saw the stickers of DMDK leader Y Gopalswami on their vehicle. In response to this, they started hurling abusive words.”
He further added, “Meanwhile I informed the protocol officer about the situation. The protocol officer alerted the patrolling vehicle nearby. The patrolling officers were also not so affirmative and they got me into the vehicle only after a heated argument.”
Gopi Shankar Madurai said “I request the government of India and especially our ministry to take serious note of this as this is the second attack in the last three weeks. Even before that, I have been attacked two times. I request PM Modi for help. He is an honest and hard-working man but unfortunately, the bureaucracy under him is not. It is us who are suffering because of this.”
Regarding security, Gopi Shankar Madurai emphasized, “Four attacks and not a single FIR has been lodged here in Mahabalipuram. You don’t provide me security the whole day, fine. Even I don’t ask for twenty-four by seven security for me. But when I am leaving my place of residence, especially when I go for fieldwork, there are unsafe conditions. Being an appointed representative of the government and the ministry looking after us, the government should think of this. Tamilnadu police respond very softly to the central home ministry when they inquire about my security status, but the reality is that I am not accompanied by any security personnel.”
Gopi Shankar Madurai is a well-known LGBTQ activist. He is also known to be a staunch supporter of Hindutva. He is credited for his contribution to making the transgender persons’ protection act 2019.
