Rajkot/Surat: "The name of Shikhandi (a transgender), who played a major role in killing Bhishma Pitamah in the Mahabharata era, is still revered today. Similarly, the character of the best Banavani Arjuna (Bruhanla) during his exile is also known. But over the years and in a changing society with the passage of time, there is a shocking attitude and dislike towards transgender people. Negative feelings towards society are born in such people for being shunned by family and society. The mood and grief of the transgender's relatives in particular is heartbreaking. However, the wind of positive change is now blowing in society. Currently, two cases have come to light, one in Surat and one in Rajkot,"
Sandeep from Surat had been suffering from internal unrest for almost three decades and this pain has finally subsided after he became 'Alisha'. People knew her as Sandeep but all she knew was that even though she looked like a boy but she is a girl from within and finally she changed her gender at the age of 39 and became Alisha from Sandeep. She became the first transwoman in Gujarat who was given a certificate provided by the State government.
At the age of 12, Sandeep started liking all the things that girls like. Suddenly, he started liking pink very much. He started liking dolls, not cars and bikes like other boys. He realised that there is something that sets him apart from other boys. Even after completing his diploma in engineering, Sandeep, who was going through a mental dilemma, finally decided that he would bring what he had from within to the society and at the age of 39, Sandeep made an important decision. After undergoing three surgeries, he became Alisha Patel.
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Alisha Patel has recently been given a certificate by the Surat District Collector which has made her the first Transwoman in the state to receive such certificate. This certificate has been received after her gender reassignment operation and she is very happy when her new identity is recognized by the government. Alisha is an Oriental therapist and has recently spent about Rs 8 lakh to become a woman. Alisha Patel has become the first transwoman in the state to receive a certificate issued by the government under the new rules.
"Now, I can confidently reveal my identity to people and behave like a woman which I could not do before," she said to ETV Bharat. The boys at school came wearing half pants but I liked the long skirts in the school uniforms, but I couldn’t express myself, said Alisha Patel, the youngest of six sisters. My body language, interests and way of speaking showed that I would grow up to be a woman in my family.
Another such case is in Rajkot. The identity card for the first transgender in the district has been issued. District Collector Arun Mahesh Babu gave a transgender certificate to Chirag alias Charmi.
This case is showing a unique chapter of the changing ideology taking place in society. Encouraging Chirag, the collector Arun Mahesh Babu said that transgender people in society also have the right to live like others. Not only that, they are ready for any kind of help and the collector is confident that all the government assistance they are entitled to will be provided, which has encouraged transgender people like Chirag alias Charmi to come forward in the society.
Jayanti Makwana, the father of Chirag alias Charmi, said "I am happy that the Collector has given my son an identity card as a transgender and has provided great relief to our family." He thanked the Collector and the State Government. "I have two children," he added with pride. "Although the younger one Chirag is transgender, for me both the children are the same. Our family never discriminated between them."
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Chirag's father, who is giving new hope to the society, says that even if there is a defect in the child, we must accept it. We should not hate but encourage. When Chirag was 12 years old, she realized that she was undergoing mental as well as physical changes as a woman. His father treated Chirag for about a year, but when doctors told him his child was transgender, his family and surrounding residents bravely accepted and cooperated.
Chirag, who studied up to the 11th standard, is currently 20 years old and wants to become a fashion designer with higher studies. Chirag also has friends and it is natural for him to hang out with them, to eat in a restaurant, says his father. Prime Minister Modi and Chief Minister Vijbhai Rupani have embarked on a noble cause through sensitive decisions to bring about positive change in today's modern age and equal rights and opportunities for transgender people in society. Noble efforts are being made to ensure that transgender people can lead a life of self-respect and be reintegrated into the mainstream of society. Transgender people will now be able to identify themselves through their i-Card.
