Transgenders to Exercise Their Right To Vote in West Bengal Elections

Transgenders in the poll-bound West Bengal now have a reason to rejoice. They can now proudly come out of the closet and cast their votes and fight elections in the upcoming polls.

The state assembly elections are scheduled in six phases in West Bengal starting from 4thApril 2016, and the transgenders are being registered in the voters’ list as the ‘third-gender’, ensuring them the respect of being recognised legally in the society.This comes in the wake of the Supreme Court’s path-breaking judgement in the National Legal Services Authority v. Union of India (2014) case which affirmed them the fundamental right of self-identification as male, female or third-gender. Although the Election Commission in the 2009 elections had ruled to ensure their participation, yet they were enlisted under ‘other category’.

“In 2011, only a few of us were able to vote. But, we still longed for the recognition that came after the Supreme Court granted us the status of ‘third gender’. It opened a whole new world before us. Hence, this (Bengal) election will give us an opportunity to step out into the sunshine, as it were, and vote with pride”, said Ms Ranjita Sinha, a transgender and member of the national and Bengal’s transgender development board.

Ms Aparna Banerjee, a transgender and a member of the state’s transgender development board, said, “Though the Bihar polls followed shortly after the landmark apex court judgment, only a handful from the transgender community could vote.”

According to sources, only 2% of the 30,000 transgenders in the state are registered in the voters’ list. The administration is proactive to ensure better representation of the community.

Many political parties have even come forward and fielded transgenders as their candidates. LokJanshakti Party (LJP) has fielded two candidates, one of them against Trinamool Congress supremo and Chief Minister, Ms Mamta Bannerjee herself.

The changing circumstances come as a progressive step towards the establishment of an unbiased societal set-up.

News Source: Hindustan Times
Image Source: Aljazeera (Photo for representation purposes only)

Ratisha is a sincere and vivacious person who has always preferred to take the road less travelled. She found her passion and calling in writing. She has worked in the past with a Panchkula-based promising IT company, where she was the Content Development Director. She oversaw the birth and development of e-commerce portals, indiabuye.com and silvershoppee.com. Voicing her thoughts and unfurling her creative wings gained her many accolades. Since then she has been contributing through writing at various portals. She presently writes for www.writerati.in and www.blog.pardesilink.com, where her vibrant and positive writings touch upon subjects of human concern. Ratisha is her clumsiest best either in an apron and paint brush in hand or peering from her geeky spectacles into a non-fiction, when not wielding the pen.