Newly recruited police constables, who are members of the transgender community, pose for a picture at the state police headquarters in Raipur, India on March 3, 2021.-/AFP/Getty Images
In a first, an Indian state has recruited 13 transgender officers to the police force. The police of Chhattisgarh announced last month that the new recruits were selected as constables after written and physical examinations were first conducted in 2017 and 2018.
The news has brought cheer to the local transgender community, as it marks a significant shift in the stigma that has kept 92 per cent of them out of the country’s mainstream economic activity.
“It feels like a dream. Till now, my community has been stereotyped and dismissed for being capable of doing no more than beg for a living,” said Tanushree Saha, 24, one of the new recruits. “But as constables, the next generation will see us in new light. I’m proud that Chhattisgarh is the first state to have achieved this feat. Other states will also follow suit, I think. And we shouldn’t stop here. There should be transgender representation in every state department.”
Nearly all transgender people in India – about half a million, according to the 2011 census – have faced social rejection, discrimination and violence. They have severely limited means of earning a living, often limited to begging, dancing and sex work.
In 2014, India’s Supreme Court granted legal recognition for the “third gender” and directed states to provide them educational, social and economic resources. Since then, transgender welfare boards have passed trans policies, though implementation has been slow and scattered. In 2019, India passed a transgender bill that allowed the right to self identification, though it was criticized for having discriminatory clauses.
In Chattisgarh, there have been sparks of change with greater sensitivity toward the community. At the centre of it is activist Vidya Rajput, 43, who motivated transgender people from across the state to apply to the police force.
“When I was growing up, I noticed how people listened to the police whenever they came to my village. But I had no voice. No one listened to me. So I dreamed of wearing the uniform someday too. It is too late for me now, so I encouraged the younger lot, about 40 of them, to go for it,” she said.
It wasn’t easy. Many had left their education midway because of frequent bullying and were not used to being out on a sports field, so it was a challenge to return to the rigour of textbooks and fitness.
“I promised them logistical support, such as coaching for the written exam and training for the physical test,” said DM Awasthi, Director General of Chhattisgarh police. “So they have been recruited based on merit. They will begin their training program at the police academy next month. The idea is bring them into the mainstream and tap their talent and potential.”
Pankaj Verma, the social welfare department joint director, set up accommodation and coaching for the applicants to help them with academics, personality development, group discussions and confidence building. “This is just one out of the many initiatives for trans inclusion that we are working on in the state.”
Newly recruited transgender police constables with the police of Chhattisgarh were hired after written and physical examinations were first conducted in 2017 and 2018.-/AFP/Getty Images
When the news of her selection reached Akshara Kumar Mandal, 26, she couldn’t believe it. “I have worked as a domestic worker and dancer for many years. I had dropped out of college due to bullying, so I couldn’t get any other job. Vidya Rajput bought me books so I would be able to study for the test. The coaching helped too. I finished first in the physical exam. I could see the reward in front of my eyes as I ran, of being seen as a ‘normal’ person, to be able to roam around freely without the dirty gaze I have subjected to so far.”
Ms. Saha, who has faced similar discrimination, fear and shame, was attacked by her relatives when she started training for the entrance exam in a bid to set her back. She can finally breathe easy. “My police uniform is being stitched this week and I can’t wait to put it on,” she said excitedly.
Ms. Rajput assisted them through the many hurdles to the finish line, including arranging for the required documents and dealing with physical injuries during training. “Onlookers would laugh and ridicule them watching them practice. ‘You want to be in the police!’ they would scoff. But I tried to keep spirits high. And officials from the police and social welfare became like family, supporting us all the way,” she said.
Then, it almost fell apart. The state government changed and the pandemic hit, delaying the selection process by more than two years. Just when the applicants were giving up hope, they were informed that they would be tested once again on physical parameters in February this year.
“The candidates had gone back to their old jobs so it was hard to motivate them to go back to the field and train once again,” Ms. Rajput said. “I told them, ‘You need a platform to prove that you are as good as anyone else, and this is it.’”
With the encouraging results finally out, more than 15 years of activism has paid off – and it is a sign for more positive initiatives to come, she added.
The new recruits are already feeling the shift in attitude and acceptance. “Ever since people heard I am in the police force, everyone speaks respectfully to me. Many girls told me they feel inspired to apply too and want me to guide them,” Ms. Mandal said.
The force has high hopes from the new recruits. “They have seen the worst, coming from very difficult circumstances after a lot of struggle. I believe they will prove to be better cops that anyone else,” Mr. Awasthi said.
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