‘We will miss a sister, not a collector’

NAMAKKAL: Namakkal district collector S Uma, who has been transferred to Chennai, was given an emotional farewell by transgender people on Tuesday evening. The occasion was a special camp for transgender people organised by the Tamil Nadu State Rural Urban Livelihood Movement and the social welfare - women's rights department.

Transgender people expressed their gratitude to the collector for being with them in their need. "We will miss a sister, rather than just a collector," said Anusuya, a transgender person.

Anusuya said they had not met such a humble collector in recent years. "The collector fulfilled whatever help we sought from her," she added. Instead of sitting in an air-conditioned office, the collector was busy with fieldwork, she said.

Uma assumed office as the Namakkal district collector on May 22, 2023. Now, she has been transferred as the additional secretary to the deputy chief minister to oversee the special schemes implementation department.

Adi dravidar and tribal welfare minister Dr M Mathivendhan, Rajya Sabha member KRN Rajesh Kumar, Namakkal MP Matheswaran, officials, transgender people and others were present.

Transgender people thanked the collector with tears, acknowledging the support she had offered to them. When they anointed her with holy water and viboothi, Uma became emotional, unable to hold back her tears. She told them, "Call me whenever you (transgender individuals) need any help."

Uma is the first govt doctor in Tamil Nadu to be promoted to an IAS officer under the special category. Uma had served as the Chennai war room supervisor at the state level throughout the Covid-19 pandemic and played a crucial role in the Tamil Nadu govt’s efforts to contain the spread of the coronavirus.