Kalyani: Sreeja is male by birth, but a woman by heart. The journey of the transwoman, who hails from Kalyani in West Bengal's Nadia district, was not easy.
With odds stacked against her, Sreeja as usual faced discrimination at home and outside. She, however, remained steadfast in her goal. As a child, Ranjan, as she was known earlier before undergoing sex-change surgery.
Born in a lower-middle-class family, Ranjan, the youngest among three children of Ranjan Ghosh, after an unsuccessful academic life decided to pursue a career in the glamour world. After failing to clear class 10 exams twice, Ranjan suddenly left home to undergo gender change without informing parents. Thus, Ranjan metamorphosed into Sreeja.
Within years, She made a name for herself in the world of glamour. Sreeja was recently crowned at the international beauty pageant.
"It was a bumpy ride for the transwoman like me. I began with taking part at a fashion show organised by Calcutta Alpine Welfare Society and had no clue that one day I'll earn a name in the fashion world," Sreeja said.
During her initial years, encouragement from TMC politicians such as Madan Mitra and Tollywood actress Rachna Banerjee held her in good stead. That was the beginning and Sreeja did not have to look back.
"The life of a transwoman is riddled with challenges but I was determined to eke out a name in the fashion world. I had to fight stigma and finally, I'm on track to realise my goals," Sreeja said.
According to Sreeja, the biggest fight was with her family members, who were not ready to accept her status as a transwoman. "I had to fight with my family first and then to fight with the society. I took humble pie as people mocked me for revealing my identity as a transgender. Finally, I'm happy to achieve what I aspired for," the transwoman added.
Now, Sreeja's family and neighbours are also happy with the success. Srija's mother Sumana Ghosh said, "Initially she didn't tell me everything, but later we could feel her thoughts after a great bit of difficulty. Gradully, we stood by her side and accepted her as she is."
Read More
