Often dismissed as third, they are vying for the top. And, they are determined to succeed in the Punjab assembly polls. For the first time ever in Punjab, two ‘third gender’ candidates — Jasdev Singh alias Jasleen Patiala and Maniksha Mahant — are in the fray, adding a third dimension to the hereto two dimensional polls.

Ending corruption, providing jobs to the state’s youth, improving the common man’s lives who is suffering due to the government’s wrong policies are some of the general issues they talk about; but providing a level playing field to the transgender community and stopping discrimination is what tops their list.

And why not! Political parties and leaders often make tall claims, big promises, announce poll sops for men, women, young girls; but they fail to talk about a significant section of the society, which has been given recognition by the country’s Apex Court in 2014 — the third gender.

“Big announcements were made for men and women...but politicians never announce anything for the third gender. Because, for them, we actually don’t exist! Only a transgender can understand and speak of ‘trans’ issues. No men or women, in the Parliament or Vidhan Sabha, have ever tried to address or even raise our concerns. And when we have this right to contest elections, we should come forward,” said a confident Jasdev Singh, or ‘Jasleen Patiala’ as he is popularly known.

Jasleen, who is contesting February 20 elections from Patiala rural assembly segment as Insaniyat Lok Vikas Party candidate she floated in October last, said: “I want that a transgender should also come forward...It is their right to do jobs like others, contest elections, go to Vidhan Sabha...or become a Chief Minister, Prime Minister or MLA”.

Echoing the same views, 26-year-old Maniksha lashed out at the politicians and political parties for making false promises with the people to misguide them. “Seeing all this, I think of entering the politics...Contesting elections is our fundamental right and being an educated person, I should come forward to provide justice to our people, provide all facilities to the people that a government should,” said Maniksha, who graduated from Punjab University in 2019.

In fray from Mohali assembly segment as Samaj Adhikar Kalyan Party candidate, Manishka said that she wanted to do a lot many things for her community which was “always marginalized”.

“Being a third gender, I have seen so much that one cannot imagine...People look at kinnars or transgenders with contempt....and because of all this neglect and discrimination, they could not be able to study...Even their parents have to suffer, they feel sorry about our birth and even try to kill at the time of birth...I want to remove this gender discrimination, and differences with the trans community so that these people can also come forward and lead a normal life,” she said.

Jasleen, who had worked as a nurse at Patiala’s Rajindra Hospital before her contract expired in 2018, rued over the apathetic attitude towards transgenders. “I have done GNM after plus-two, and was working as a nurse at Rajindra Hospital. My contract was not renewed because I am from the “other” category...I also didn’t raise the matter at that time. Some people don’t want me to be there, and work with them,” said Jasleen, who is now determined to be something in life to show such people “that we can also do something”.

Both Jasleen and Maniksha, who took an initiative to enter the electoral fray as “third gender” at the time when many like them still prefer to live with the identity of either male or female to avail government schemes and get jobs, pointed that for their community, employment and education remain their top concern, besides providing a “separate washroom facility for the third gender”.

And just like many others, their parents too turned them out of the house at a young age. “I have reached this point in my life after facing so many challenges... All my life, I faced so much discrimination....There’s no support from the family, and moreover, you yourself are not sure about your identity whether you are a girl or boy,” said Maniksha, who hailed the Supreme Court’s historic judgment to give a “unique identity” to the third gender. “We feel strengthened,” she added.

An avid speaker, and a confident YouTuber, Jasleen said that she has been struggling along with the people since past four years on several issues. In fact, she is famous for her speeches during Kisan Morcha (farmer’s agitation) at Delhi borders which are laced with hard-hitting witticism.

While their success in the electoral fray would be known on March 10 — the result day, they would surely inspire many other transgenders to take up politics and participate in the ‘mainstream activities’, giving up their traditional roles as dancers, beggars, living on the fringes of society.

KNOW TRANSGENDERS

Most transgender women are born male but identify as women or “in-between”. Usually shunned by their families or mistaken for eunuchs, transgender Indians often join the hijra community – a relatively organized, hierarchical system in which new members follow their reet (tradition) of becoming a chela (disciple) to an elder hijra guru to learn the ways of navigating society on the fringes. These customs include begging for alms and singing and dancing at weddings and births for luck.

VOTING RIGHTS AS THIRD GENDER

In November 2009, Indian election authorities granted what they called an independent identity to intersex and transsexuals in the country's voter lists. Before, members of these groups were referred to as male or female in the voter rolls. But now, they have the choice to tick ‘O’ — for others — when indicating their gender in voter forms.

RECOGNITION TO THIRD GENDER

Supreme Court, in April 2014, recognized hijras, transgender people, eunuchs, and intersex people as a ‘third gender’ in law. Legally accepting the existence of a third gender, they were provided an option on passports and certain official documents.

ELECTORAL PARTICIPATION

It was in 1998 that the country got its first transgender MLA — Shabnam Bano or Shabnam Mausi — a Congress candidate, who retained her Sohagpur seat in Shahdol district until 2003 in Madhya Pradesh. That was before the ECI recognized them as “others” in the gender column in 2009. After that, several Indian states have seen transgenders contesting parliamentary or even assembly elections, besides civic body polls; their electoral participation has remained abysmal considering the social stigma and injustice meted out to them.