Rashmi Rekha Das
Although society did not accept her chosen identity, today she is a proud woman and mother. Always at the forefront of the struggle for the rights of the third sex, Meghna Sahoo’s amazing journey from a transgender to a social activist is indeed
inspiring
Dwelling on the margins of the economy and society, transgenders are often misrepresented and misperceived. Due to the cruel discrimination they face, their lifestyle choices are often questioned by society at large. Still within the community there are a few who manage to overcome social rejection to emerge as champions in their respective fields. Sunday POST meets Meghna Sahoo whose inspiring story holds out valuable lessons for those engaged in the struggle to secure dignity and liberty of transgenders.
Meghna is a multi-talented personality: a journalist, teacher and social activist who has been at the forefront of the fight for transgender rights. Besides, she was the first transgender from Orissa to marry a man whom she had befriended on Facebook. The couple tied the knot as per Hindu rituals on Republic Day this year. Meghna works for the vernacular weekly Bajrakila and visits several institutions to deliver lectures on gender issues. She has recently filed nomination papers for the forthcoming Rajya Sabha by-election in a bid to raise issues related to transgender rights in Parliament. Her journey from a prostitute to a successful social activist and journalist is simply amazing.
Recounting her childhood days, Meghna said: “I am from a middle class, educated family. I spent my early childhood with my grannies. I started living with my parents in Bhubaneswar after I reached Class VII. It was then I got attracted towards ladies’ dresses and loved to deck up as a girl. Though I had a male body, I thought like a woman. I was consumed by a sense of guilt and dared not discuss my feelings with others. After Plus II, I became sure that it was not a mental disease. One day I was roaming with my friends at Indira Gandhi Park when the latter had made fun of me saying ‘See, people of your community are here’. Though I avoided them, I secretly met the kinnars and took down their numbers. I expressed my feelings to them. Gradually, I developed a rapport with them. Despite being born in a loving family, I had to struggle for my identity and made others realise that I was, in fact, a woman. But I continued to focus on my education and blocked out negative thoughts. I did post-graduation in MBA from Sambalpur University and was forced to marry soon after. When I spurned the proposal, my family members asked me to leave the house. I moved to Delhi and started living with a friend called Tia. It was then when I underwent sex reassignment surgery and became a complete woman. A few community friends asked me to return to Orissa to fight for the rights of the third gender. Nonetheless, with the 2014 judgment of the Supreme Court recognising us as the ‘third gender’, there was great hope that things would begin to change for us.”
“Rejection began at home when I started showing feminine proclivities at a tender age. That rejection hurt badly,” Meghna added.
About her eventual marriage to a man she loved, Meghna said: “My affair with Basudeb, like many affairs of our generation, began on social media. But before we struck up a friendship he had seen me at a programme and had became a fan of mine. He was closely monitoring my social activities. When he proposed marriage during a chat, I told him point blank that I was not one who would want to be a runaway bride. I told him; ‘If you want to marry, go talk to my parents and get their consent’, which he did.”
“Though I have had several affairs with men, some of whom had also proposed to me, he was the first man who showed the courage to go the whole hog. As transgenders, we are always looked down upon and considered as an inferior community. Basudeb had the guts to break all barriers and came forward to tie the nuptial knot,” said Meghna, adding that she observed the Sabitri brata fast for the first time this year.
Asked why Basudeb, who was married and had even fathered a child, proposed marriage to Meghna, she replied: “After separation with his first wife, several proposals came his way, but his answer was ‘No’ to all of them. He was worried about his son’s upbringing. He feared that if he had married a woman, she would give birth to her own child and mistreat her stepson.”
Asked if she nursed motherly feelings for Sai Subham, Basudeb’s four-year-old son, Meghna said: “Of course, I can say that I am a proud mother. I give him all the love he needs. Had Basudev got married to a woman, Sai Subham would have been deprived of love and affection. I can say that transgenders are better mothers than stepmothers.”
Secretary of the All Orissa Transgender Association, Meghna said, “People think transgenders can’t get married or embrace motherhood, but I have proved them wrong.”
It is commonly believed that transgenders are sex workers. The hardcore social activist stated, “It’s a wrong notion. True, some transgenders are engaged in such activities, but it can’t be helped. I cannot give employment to every kinnar. Besides, there are a great many social obstacles. In our locality, a transgender opened a tailoring shop but people chose to boycott it. What would the kinnar do? We have transgenders in our community who are OAS officers, teachers and bankers. One transgender is an auto-rickshaw driver. So though transgenders can excel if they get the necessary support, a majority of them are illiterate. Ditched by their families, they are left with options as bleak as begging or prostitution for a survival. I was a bar dancer and a prostitute myself. If the government takes up cudgels to educate eunuchs and enable them to join the social mainstream, the third sex would keep off all immoral activities. Being a social activist I have fought for the rights of the third sex and I am happy that we are included under the national Food Security Act. Besides, we were given ration cards, driving licenses and Aadhaar cards. Moreover, the state government has recently decided to allot four decimal lands at rural pockets to build homes for us. But again I want to say that I will try my best to guide transgenders not to engage in immoral activities. I can counsel them but cannot put a full stop on such activities. Transgenders are trapped in male bodies. They think like women and have sexual needs like women. Every transgender is not lucky enough to get married. Who will marry them? So, in order to satiate their sexual needs, they engage in such activities.”
A biopic titled T is going to be made on meghna and Navin Chandra Ganesh is the scriptwriter. Debasis Sahu, aka Deb, will be seen essaying the character of Meghna. A Mumbai-based production house will shoot the movie to be directed by Asish Dubey.
