TG POWER
- Transgender Meera has conveyed to the CM her decision to contest from Begunia constituency in Khurda if she is given a BJD ticket
- Transgender Kajal Nayak is contesting from Korei Assembly constituency in Jajpur district on a BSP ticket
- Another transgender leader, Menaka Kinnar, joined the BJP, and is planning to contest from Bhubaneswar
Bhubaneswar: The importance of the transgender community has increased in the current Assembly elections with some of its members entering politics.
Social activist and transgender Meera Parida, 38, joined the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) a few days back at the CM’s residence, Naveen Niwas, in the presence of the CM.
She said that she was inspired by the Chief Minister’s leadership and will support those who help her community.
Meera said that she had conveyed to the Chief Minister her decision to contest from the Begunia constituency in Khurda district provided she is given a BJD ticket.
Hailing from the Begunia block of Khurdha district Meera has faced several problems in her life. She left home while studying in Class VIII and did odd jobs for a living.
Meera is now the Chairman of the All Odisha Third Gender Welfare Trust, and has launched an NGO named Sakha that tries to protect the rights of the ‘other’ gender in Odisha.
She was conferred the Transgender Leader Award in 2016 by UNDP, NACO and the HIV Alliance for her efforts to protect marginalised groups who are vulnerable to AIDS in India.
Another transgender, Kajal Nayak, 27, also has decided to contest from the Korei Assembly constituency in Jajpur district.
Kajal, who took the Matriculation examinations this year, will be contesting as a Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) candidate.
Speaking to reporters here, Kajal said she has been associated with the people of Jajpur for over a decade through social work. “Impressed by this, I was offered a ticket by Krushna Chandra Sagaria (Odisha BSP chief) to contest from Korei Assembly constituency,” she said.
On being asked why she entered active politics, Kajal said, “I joined politics because I want to help people.”
Another transgender leader, Menaka Kinnar, joined the BJP, and is planning to contest from Bhubaneswar.
Menaka, who hails from Jagatsinghpur district, and had fought the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections in 2013, said she understands the problems of women and girls.
“No society can improve unless women are empowered. I want to give the message that eunuchs are not inferior to anyone,” she said.
There are around 25,000 eunuchs in the state and in some constituencies like Khurda and Jajpur their number is quite big. This can be a factor in deciding the victor, sources said.
Bijaya Biswal who works for the LGBTQ community in the city and had organised the city’s first parade of the group last year, said that he is extremely happy that leaders of the third gender have finally found political representation.
She said that for centuries the transgender community had been ripped off all dignity as they are a minority. Giving representation to minorities in legislative bodies is necessary in a diverse country like India, she added.
However, Bijaya said that power can transform the oppressed into the oppressor, and that transgender leaders should take the responsibility of delivering justice to the community.
Meghna Sahoo, who became the first transgender cab driver in India in April 2018, said the community still faces serious problems in healthcare, admission to educational institutes and buying lands and homes.
Meghna said that if the community’s leaders are active in politics that will help solve problems.
Ayesha Behera, a city-based transgender model, said the move to participate in politics is a wise one that will help in protecting the rights of the group.
Sabyasachi Satpathy, an LGBTQ member, and the first Odia to participate in the reality show Bigg Boss said, “The decision to enter politics is right. It has nothing to with gender. It’s a good thing that Meera Parida and some others are contesting, and I welcome the move of political parties to ensure equal rights to everyone. Our Shabnamji is an MLA in MP.”
Shabnam ‘Mausi’ Bano is the first transgender Indian to be elected as an MLA. She was a member of the Madhya Pradesh State Legislative Assembly from 1998 to 2003.
Arindam Ganguly, OP
