Sir — As the Supreme Court of India has formally acknowledged transgenders as the “third gender”, this community has at last won a long-denied right. This will not only entitle the million-plus population the right to record its gender identity in documents like the election card, passport, driving licence and ration card, but also, hopefully, open many doors for them. But viewing this judgement in isolation will be to forget the progress achieved by transgender activists in the years gone by.
In 2008, Tamil Nadu was the first State to recognise transgenders as the third gender and set up a transgender welfare board. The apex court’s assertion of self-identification as the criterion for gender identity merits a recall of the shameful treatment of Asian Games gold-medalist Pinki Pramanik. Despite her insistence that she was a woman, those eager to peg her as a man came close to destroying her.
Going a step further, the apex court has directed both the States and the Centre to treat transgenders as a socially and economically backward class and include them in welfare programmes. But, despite these measures, it remains to be seen if this decision will end social discrimination of the transgenders.