HYDERABAD: As the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2016, that was tabled in the Parliament, is likely to be taken up for discussion very soon, major loopholes that have prevented it from progressing in the past have come to light once again.
According to Mumbai-based Piyush Saxena, who has been working against the oppression of transpersons for nearly 10 years now, said that discussion about the bill has been stalled for a while now for two reasons. “First, the screening process to determine if one is a transperson is harsh. It is inhuman to ask someone to strip to prove their identity. Besides that, the screening process will be conducted by special committees to be constituted in every district in the country, which is laborious, time taking and an expensive affair,” said Saxena. However, there are alternative ways to start identifying transpersons, he said. As someone who has lived with transpersons and watched them closely, Saxena suggested that identification of transpersons should be done by Gurus or another transperson who will vouch for their authenticity.
He had filed a PIL in 2012 from his organisation, Salvation of Oppressed Eunuchs, about voting rights for transpersons after which the Election Commission of India stated that they cannot be denied the rights.
Union minister expresses full confidence in passing of bill
After inaugurating the two-day national workshop on developing modules for sensitising transgender people and stakeholders organised by the National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (NIRD&PR), Union minister of state for social justice and empowerment Ramdas Athawale stated that he would do all that is in his capacity to push the bill in the Parliament.
“We will push for reservation for the trans community. It is sad to hear that one is denied education because of their perception of gender which is binary,” said the minister who encouraged traspersons to fight back.