Skip to content Skip to navigation

What goes wrong with transgender persons

GUWAHATI: December 15 will witness a ‘Delhi Chalo’ protest against the centre’s decision to ignore all civil society inputs and table the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill of August 2016 in the winter session of the Parliament.

This decision is being seen as a stunning reversal and letdown by the Government of India after more than a year’s dialogue with transgender and intersex community groups on how to improve the Bill and make it more inclusive and respectful of gender diversity.

A series of events and other forms of protest have been lined up or already started by the transgender and intersex communities and their allies across the country in the run-up to the December 15 gathering in the capital.

These include protest marches in several cities, an online signature campaign initiated by Sampoorna India, a postcard campaign started by community groups in Bengal and other states to flood the Prime Minister’s Office, twitter and other social media campaigns, and media interfaces demanding that the Bill not be tabled in its current form.

Dialogue with MPs and MLAs of different political dispensations is also on the cards to create pressure on the government to drop its plans to table the Bill.  

 It is learnt that Social Justice Minister Thawaar Chand Gehlot of the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MSJE) have rejected all the recommendations of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Transgender Bill.

 The Bill if tabled in its current form, does not uphold the right to self-identify gender, proposes physical screenings by District Screening Committees to be used to certify trans, gender variant, and intersex people as transgender, offers token measures in the name of anti-discrimination, and refuses to recognize the distinct, even though sometimes overlapping, concerns of trans and gender variant individuals from intersex persons.

 The Bill also criminalises begging, proposing six months to two years imprisonment with fine. This puts vulnerable trans and intersex women who beg on the streets of India, due to lack of any other livelihood options, at grave risk of further police and State violence.

 

 In fact, the Bill in its current form is a grave violation of the 2014 Indian Supreme Court’s NALSA judgment on trans, gender non-conforming individuals’ and intersex rights and is not in consonance with international precedents either that honour human rights.

Author info

AT News's picture

Assam Times Staff. editor@assamtimes.org

Add new comment

Other Contents by Author

Nazira paid tribute to the late Aboni Borthakur, a distinguished educationist and former Principal of Nazira College, with a memorial meeting held on Sunday. The event, organized at the Nazira M.C. Club, was presided over by Atul Gogoi, a former Principal of another college. The gathering saw the presence of several notable figures, including retired professor Dr. Provat Borah, renowned writer Juri Borah Borgohain, Nazira MLA Debabrata Saikia, and CPI leader Kanak Gogoi, among others. The speakers reflected on Borthakur’s contributions to education and society, celebrating his legacy as a thinker and academician. A highlight of the meeting was the unveiling of a memorial book that...
The demolition of Mahafezkhana, Assam’s oldest surviving concrete structure and a vital piece of Northeast India’s architectural heritage, has triggered widespread outrage. Built between 1855 and 1865, the 160-year-old building—once a custodian of crucial land records during British colonial rule—was razed by the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) as part of a park extension and Brahmaputra riverfront beautification project, according to reports published on Sunday. Senior journalist Mrinal Talukdar expressed his dismay on X, describing the demolition as “not just demolition—this is desecration.” In a series of posts, including one at 2:30 AM IST on March 30 (Post ID:...
The Dhansiri River, a vital tributary of the Brahmaputra, is facing severe pollution due to industrial discharge from the Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL), as reported by Janani Live, a local news portal from Golaghat. The contamination has raised alarms among environmentalists and local communities dependent on the river for irrigation and drinking water. Growing Pollution Crisis:According to Janani Live, untreated effluents from the refinery have been flowing into the Dhansiri, increasing chemical toxicity and degrading water quality. The river, which originates in Nagaland and flows through Golaghat and Dimapur, is already burdened by urban sewage, agricultural runoff, and sand...
Congress MP and Lok Sabha Deputy Opposition Leader Gaurav Gogoi has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, demanding an investigation into alleged financial irregularities worth approximately ₹70 crore at the Assam Cooperative Apex Bank. According to Gogoi, the scandal involves an outsider businessman, Rajesh Bajaj, who is accused of misappropriating around ₹20 crore, along with an additional ₹50 crore irregularities under the guise of a tender for a data storage system. Gogoi has urged the Prime Minister to order an independent probe into the matter. In a post on his official X handle, Gogoi stated, “I have written a letter to Hon’ble PM Shri Narendra Modi ji regarding the...
Assam Minister Ranjit Das has sparked outrage after allegedly using a caste-based slur during an election campaign, prompting protests and a police complaint. The controversy erupted while Das, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, was campaigning for a ruling coalition candidate in the 30-Bamunigaon constituency of the Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council on March 18. During a public speech, he referenced India’s four main social groups—"the poor, women, farmers, and youth"—but also used a derogatory word for Scheduled Castes in Assam. The All Assam Scheduled Caste Youth Students’ Union filed a complaint against Das at Dispur Police Station under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes...
A massive protest erupted today in Sonapur, near Guwahati, as thousands of tribal people gathered to oppose the proposed transfer of vast tracts of land to the Indian Air Force. The demonstration, held at the Sonapur Mini Stadium on Friday, March 28, saw local tribal communities voicing their outrage against what they perceive as an encroachment on their ancestral lands, with slogans such as "We will give our blood, not our land" and "Down with Digaru Air Force" resonating through the air. The unrest stems from the state government's alleged plan to hand over a significant portion of land in Digaru, close to Sonapur, to the Air Force. This move has sparked widespread anger among the...
 The Chief Judicial Magistrate’s Court of Kamrup Metropolitan District has granted bail to senior journalist Dilowar Hussain Majumdar in his second case. Following interrogation and searches starting on March 27, Majumdar was produced in court on Friday and released on a bond of 20,000 rupees. The decision came after his advocate, Angshuman Bora, presented arguments in his favor. Police conducted searches at Majumdar’s residence and business establishments, seizing two dumpers during the operation. In a related case involving the managing director of Apex Bank, the police advocate requested the addition of extra charges, but the court rejected the plea. Due to a delay in submitting...
The Press Club of India (PCI) on Friday sharply criticized Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for attempting to define who qualifies as a “legitimate” journalist, following the re-arrest of senior digital media journalist Dilawar Hussain Mozumder by Assam Police on March 27 evening. Mozumder, assistant general secretary of the Guwahati Press Club (GPC), was detained hours after his bail release in a case involving alleged theft of bank documents while covering a protest tied to a recruitment scam. The PCI demanded Mozumder’s immediate release, accusing the state of undermining press freedom. The PCI’s statement highlighted Sarma’s remarks as a distraction from the core issue—...
The Shillong Press Club (SPC) has strongly condemned the arrest of senior Assam journalist Dilawar Hussain Mazumdar, issuing a statement denouncing the action. Mazumdar, the chief reporter of Crosscurrent Digital Media, was first arrested on the night of March 25. Although he was granted bail on March 26, he was rearrested on March 27 based on a complaint filed by the managing director of the Assam Cooperative Apex Bank.  SPC President D L Syiemlieh stated that the rearrest of Mazumdar shortly after being granted bail is deeply concerning and represents a shocking misuse of legal processes. He emphasized that this action constitutes a direct assault on the freedom of the press and...
An emergency executive meeting of the Guwahati Press Club was held today, March 28, 2025, to address the recent re-arrest of Dilwar Hussein Mazumdar and assess the ensuing situation. The meeting concluded with the announcement of the following action plan to highlight concerns and demand action. All journalists are urged to wear black badges during duty hours from March 28, 2025, to March 30, 2025, as a mark of protest and solidarity. A general meeting of journalists has been scheduled for Sunday, March 30, 2025, at 11:30 AM at the Press Club premises. The agenda includes a detailed discussion on the decisions taken during the impromptu meeting held on March 26, 2025. Resolutions will...