‘Why are we not accepted as we are?’, Two-time Miss World Diversity Naaz Joshi questions PM Modi
NEW DELHI: Two-time Miss World Diversity Naaz Joshi has a grouse against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “When he can meet Manushi Chillar after she was crowned Miss World 2017, why has the same honour not been accorded to me? I have bagged the Miss World Diversity crown twice but repeated attempts to meet him have not fructified,” complains Joshi, who won the title consecutively in 2017 and 2018.
The world’s first transsexual woman to have won the Miss World Diversity title is confident of scoring a hat-trick as she is all set to participate in the contest for the third time. Naaz will represent India and compete against 15 other international contestants in Mauritius on August 4.
Born a transgender, Naaz, a resident of Malviya Nagar, was sent to her uncle’s home in Mumbai because her parents could not withstand the social stigma and pressure.
“We face a lot of discrimination from society, including our families. It is not that my parents didn’t love me but they were under a lot of pressure from neighbours and society at large. This is the reason I was sent to my relatives when I was around seven,” she says.
Even then, life did not turn out easy for Naaz. She was abused sexually at the foster home, which forced her to run away one night. She did odd jobs to earn a livelihood and even worked at a dance bar for a while. But her grit and determination made her stand up and make her life worthwhile. She was also ably assisted by some kind-hearted souls, including her cousin and famous model Viveka Babajee, who sponsored her education at NIFT.
The discrimination exists even today, although Naaz is now a celebrated model. “I don’t understand what’s the problem with people. Why do they make our lives miserable? Why is there so much interference in our personal lives? Why doesn’t society accept us as we are?” she asks, adding it is not just the members of LGBTQ+ community but even their families who become the butt of rude jokes.
“No one wants to have any relation with our families,” recounts Naaz painfully, how a couple of years ago, her brother’s wedding was called off by the bride’s family because they came to know about her. “This is the reason parents abandon their kids who do not conform to the set norms of society,” she says, adding, “This seems more shocking in our country since we have had a history of people with different sexual orientation – look at the paintings and rock-cut sculptures at Ajanta and Ellora, read history – transgenders always had important roles in society and were never looked down upon.”
Naaz feels Indian culture used to be very inclusive. “It is only after the British invaded our country that things changed, and following Brit rules, things have reached such a sorry state.”
She wants to change the mindset of people towards the trans community. “There have been some phenomenal changes over the years but a lot yet need to be done,” says Naaz, who feels people start taking you more seriously when you have achieved something. “However, whenever I go for any pageant or contest, I spend from my own pocket.
There is no sponsorship from any private or government organisation. Why this discrimination? Why can’t people stop intruding into other people’s lives and let the other person or family be happy too?”