13 Trangenders Recruited As Police Constables In Chhattisgarh

OVERVIEW

In an unprecedented news, the Government of Chhattisgarh has recruited 13 transgenders to the post of Police Constable. The constables so appointed are over the moon on having been selected for the post. The candidates so appointed reminisced about the hardships they had had to face due to their sexual orientation and their identity. They were bullied, tormented and harassed by their classmates and their families were also not very supportive of their situation. Such a recruitment allows them to enter into the mainstream of the society where they are better represented and it serves as an inspiration to many others like them, who have to remain in shackles due to the societal constraints.

Only two other transgender police personnel have been recruited in India and they have been serving in the state of Tamil Nadu and another in the state of Rajasthan.

BACKGROUND

The Supreme Court, in the year 2014, recognised the transgender community as a third gender along with male and female. All forms to be filled out in the country were to compulsorily contain the option for availing ‘third gender.’

The Apex court also held that the people representing the third gender have equal privilege over the fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution as the male and female citizens of the nation have been enjoying since the day of implementation of the Constitution.

The Chhattisgarh Police decided to include the third gender in their recruitment exam in 2017. The examination exercise was successfully conducted in the year 2019-20.

A total of 2,038 constables were recruited in the state, including 1,736 male, 289 female and 13 people from the transgender community, shared an official from the police headquarters in Raipur. The results of the said examination

Vidya Rajput, a transgender rights activist, told PTI that other aspirants initially laughed at transgender aspirants, since they appeared different from them but once they saw the latter’s commitment and strength, they became a part them and started to cheer them on, motivate them and considering them as healthy competitors.

Further, Rajput said that parents of some transgender aspirants scolded them, while others even beat them for applying under the “third-gender” category. However, the aspirants remained undeterred.

The Kinnar Samaj and Mitwa Committee of Chhattisgarh has recognised that such act paved the way for better representation of the Transgender Community. They thanked the Chhattisgarh Government for providing the community for the opportunity for proving their merit.

The community, as per PTI, is making efforts to secure reservation in government jobs.

The results were pending since 2017-18, which had led to some disappointment against the aspirants as “they had to return to their previous jobs, like washing dishes in hotels and joining the ‘badhai toli’ for livelihood,” Rajput told PTI.

FURTHER DETAILS

The Chhattisgarh Police recruited, in a first of such act, 13 transgender individuals as Police Constables. As per PTI, of the thirteen successful candidates:

• Eight are from Raipur District
• Two are from Rajnandgaon
• One from Bilaspur district
• One from Korba district
• One from Surguja district

The examination was reportedly conducted in 2017-18, and the results following a renewed physical test of those who had cleared the written exam was declared on 1 March 2021.

Chhattisgarh’s Director General of Police D M Awasthi told PTI on Wednesday “Thirteen candidates from the transgender community have been recruited as constables on the basis of merit. Two others are in the waiting list.” He also went on to express his desire to meet the new recruits, as soon as possible.
The selected candidates expressed their happiness after getting selected. They were on cloud nine and were very contented with their triumph and that their hard work had finally borne fruit.

"I am very happy today. I have no words to express my happiness. I and all my colleagues worked very hard for this exam. It was a rare opportunity for us that could change our lives, so everyone worked hard day and night," said Krishna Tandi, one of the selected candidates.

Komal Sahu, another selected candidate, said it was the greatest day of her life. She further went on to say that "I never thought that I would get the job of respect but it happened," as reported by The Hindustan Times.

CONCLUSION

Chhattisgarh’s Director General Police, on Wednesday, 3 March, told PTI: “Thirteen candidates from the transgender community have been recruited as constables on the basis of merit. Two others are in the waiting list.”

He further said: “We welcome them and believe many others from the community would join the police force in future.”

The recruitment of transgender individuals to offices of respect has invoked such awe because of the fact that before 2014, the rights of transgenders were not recognised by the law of the land and they were denied employment in most services. They were seen to earn their livelihoods by employing themselves in menial works like washing utensils, serving as maids and also, begging at various traffic signals and public transports.

DO YOU THINK THE TRANSGENDER INDIVIDUALS IN THE COUNTRY WOULD BE INSPIRED BY SUCH RECRUITMENT? LET US KNOW IN THE COMMENTS BELOW!