London/Hyderabad: A transsexual from Hyderabad, who fled to the UK reportedly after facing violence, has urged British authorities to accept his request for asylum as deportation to India would leave him open to torture and elimination.
Sameer Neelam was born a female, but lived with a woman in secret as a male in Hyderabad before seeking asylum in the city of Bradford in northern England.
He claims to have suffered violence and harassment after being “outed“ by the Indian media and is fighting against deportation.
“Here I'm considered as what I am. In India I can't dress like this. Nobody counts me as a man. If I open myself as a man in India, I will be looked down upon, tortured, discriminated, eliminated,“ he told the BBC.
“I'm enjoying my life as a man and if somebody calls me 'Mr' or says 'he' I feel energetic,“ he told the BBC. Neelam claimed to have been a prominent female local official in Hyderabad. After his double life as a man was uncovered, he became suicidal until he was able to come to the UK, he said.
He is expected to find out whether his plea for asylum in Britain will be approved in the coming weeks. A rejection would lead to his deportation to India.
Sameer Neelam -who was then identified as Vijusha Neelam -was outed on TV9 in 2010. The TV channel ran shows in 2010 titled Nari Nari Naduma Marriage and Lesbian Love, about an alleged dispute between Neelam, his partner and another person.
Neelam had alleged at that time that his partner had dumped him when he went to the United Kingdom. Neelam is said to be a native of Warangal and did his master's in social work in Osmania University and was shuttling between Hyderabad and the United Kingdom. Deportation threat The transsexual is expected to find out whether his plea for asylum in UK will be approved in the coming weeks A rejection would lead to his deportation to India.
Next: Neelam shared info on website
Neelam shared info on website
London/Hyderabad: Sameer Neelam, a transsexual from Hyderabad, who reportedly fled to the UK after facing violence used to stay with his partner (name withheld) at a flat at Allagadda Bavi in Mettuguda, Secunderab-ad, previously. Their previous neighbour Aruna Kumari, wife of Laxman Rao of Alugadda Bavi. She said: “They used to stay in the flat and separated later. The TV9 crew used to go Nacharam where they were staying later and shot the visuals.” She added that Neelam had come from the United Kingdom and later went back abroad.
On the website of International Lesbian, a gay, bisexual, trans and intersex association, Neelam had written in 2010 December, “I am a transgender from India but undergone operation. At present I am in the UK, doing my MBA. I had one same sex partner Ms (name withheld) for last 10 years. Later she was living with my ex-friend. They both deceived me and ruined me physically, mentally, socially and economically… I have evidence of letters, photos, greeting cards, and a ho-use on both of our name which i bought. (sic)”
Under British government guidelines for asylum applications from transsexuals, a claim can be made “when he or she fears persecution on acco-unt of his or her actual or perceived gender identity which does not, or is deemed not to, conform to prevailing political, soci-al or cultural norms in his or her country of origin.”
A Home Office spokes-person said: “The UK has a proud history of granting asylum to those who need it and applications are carefully considered before a decision is made. It would be inappropriate to comment further while legal proceedings are on.”
