After decades of hardship, ignorance and rejections, people from the transgender community started breaking the barriers only recently, after some of them began to join police and judicial services. These appointments inspired many more in the community and instilled hope that they could lead a better life if they studied and worked hard. However, in a jolt to their optimism and aspirations, a 22-year-old transwoman police constable attempted suicide in Ramanathapuram alleging harassment by three of her superiors.
R Nasriya, who joined the police force in August this year, shot a selfie video of her drinking rat poison and posted it on WhatsApp Monday night, saying she was taking the extreme step as the three superiors ‘misbehaved indecently’ and ‘teased’ her. In the video, she named the three police personnel and said, ‘I am taking this extreme step because the three behaved indecently and made me suffer a lot by teasing and torturing. They are solely responsible for my death. Friends please share this clipping with others and get the officials responsible for my death punished.’
After seeing the video, police rushed to her room and admitted her to the local government hospital. After a stomach wash, her condition was now okay. Though the life of Nasriya has been saved, the way she was allegedly treated at work and her subsequent extreme step have killed the dreams of transpersons. From admissions in colleges to getting jobs to even finding homes for rent, they had only faced hurdles, forcing a majority of them to take up prostitution as a profession. The need of the hour is a fair departmental inquiry (the Superintendent of Police has already ordered one) into the charges made by Nasriya and tough action against the officials if the allegations are found true. It should send a strong warning to those who take transpersons for granted.