Transformation In India- Understanding The Third Gender
February 4, 2022
“Male, female, and third gender—this is how society has historically overlooked the third gender. How many times have we encountered only two gender options? But what if one does not identify with either? According to the 2011 census, the total population of transgender people in our country was around 4.88 lakh. However, their existence has been neglected in India for the longest time possible.” They have been existing in our society for centuries but they have been legally recognized for just 7 years now. There has been a long history of discrimination against Transgender (TG) people in India. From facing derogatory remarks to physical violence, there’s nothing that they haven’t gone through. Things undoubtedly have changed after the historic NALSA judgment but are we sure that we have included them in our society the way we should. How much do we know about their glorious history or about their struggles or about their current situation? For years now, society has been determining the way we should live, it has not just been constrained to two genders but also the third gender. Social constructs have been determining our appearance, clothes, hair length, occupation, and whatnot, but things have been hard for people who do not fit into any gender category i.e. Transgender people because we have been neglecting, their issues, their rights, and most importantly their existence.People alienated them from mainstream society, human rights violations against Transgender people became common, from getting bullied in schools to getting tortured on the streets; they have been socially, politically, and economically excluded from our society. The discrimination they face starts from when they are a child and goes on till their lifetime.The community struggles to find its place in this society; sex work and beggary remain a major source of livelihood for them; the humiliation faced by the community in public is not hidden from anyone. Our unacceptable behavior towards them in this society hinders their growth, leading them to live a life that nobody on the earth deserves. Identification is the need of the hour as man is a social animal, it is needed for most of our life activities from basic citizenship rights to education and employment opportunities. While this identification that is this basic for human survival is what had been missing from Transgender people’s lives for years. This article throws light on the life of Transgender people, their history, and the current socio-economic problems they face even after the historical NALSA judgment. The discussion in this article is limited to Transgender people in India i.e. Hijras, Kinnars, Kothis, etc.
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