Bhopal: In a first in Madhya Pradesh, the state has appointed a transgender government officer. Sanjana Singh, 36, recently joined as the personal secretary of the director of social justice and disabled persons welfare.
Delighted over the achievement, Sanjana, who was forced to abandon her family at the age of 15 and join a transgender group, said that she has finally achieved her ‘due place in society’.
Before her present posting, Sanjana had become the first para-legal volunteer of District Legal Services Tribunal and was also a nominated member of the Lok Adalat of the tribunal and used to hear cases in the company of several judges. Also, Singh was earlier associated with an NGO and was working on child and women health since 2008.
Not only did her family abandon her, even the transgender community with whom she grew up, deserted her after she declined to be a part of the group that seeks money during celebrations and festivals.
Now a government officer, she reiterated that being a transgender is no less than a curse in this country where the third gender has no social acceptance. Thanking MP government for having offered her the platform to live a respectable life, Singh conveyed a message to the transgender community saying that they should also come forward and contribute to the society while identifying their own talents.
She, however, underlined the need for providing more opportunities to the sidelined community.
“If the reservation can be provided to others, then why not to us,” she asked, adding that there was a need to spread awareness in the society about transgenders.
“If the society does not accept us, we will not be able to break our barriers,” she added.
In 2015, Singh came into limelight after she and her team had vigorously campaigned against open defecation in Madhya Pradesh. Sanjana and her NGO collaborated with the MP government on Swachhta Mission and have been associated with the programme since 2014.
Comments
0 comment