Why Manabi was forced to resign?

Beyond Just Words

Transgenders have been mostly ignored, and, worse mocked at, ostracised by the society and organisations. I think the biggest problem is that we just talk. everyone talks about inclusivity but no one really does anything on the ground.

Like on World Environment day, we write do not cut trees, print the same on paper and stick it. Such a paradox, isn't it? Beyond talk, the inclusivity needs to be in actions. 

It is only recent that we have started taking about a third option as 'others' in the application forms against gender. Otherwise it used to be just male or female. So it boils down to actionable items - Are we hiring transgenders in our organisation? Have we sensitised our culture to include transgenders? Are we giving them equal opportunities?

I had written about this issue on my blog way back in 2012.

Change Culture, Sensitise People

Some organisations that take the brave first step of hiring transgenders forget to sensitize their culture and people and the transgender hires are subject of cruel jokes and ridicule that force them to exit. Take the case of Manabi Bandopadhyay who became the first transgender principal of a Kolkata school. The news was received with much euphoria and circulated by the media with drumbeats. The reality after 18 months is that she was forced to resign because of the extremely uncooperative attitude of the college staff. That's why changing the culture and mindset is important.

On the positive front India's first transgender school has opened. But will these students be accepted in the society, higher education colleges and later in the workforce is a big question that looms at large. You cannot create a different world for transgenders. They have to be assimilated in our society organically.

We need to realize that physical anatomy has nothing to do with the IQ or EQ of a person. They can be as talented as we are may be sometime even more. and when we ostracise them, they feel as hurt as we do if someone does it to us. When you see a transgender begging at a traffic junction, it is perhaps because people like us never allowed them to get a job and live a descent life.

Fundamentally nothing will change till our mindsets change and that is possible only when we try and impact the culture. It has to be through training, workshops, various campaigns and drives.
It will take time, but every small change adds up.

Let us all make a beginning in our small ways, not just by good words but by actions that can inspire others to do as well.