In a major progressive development, the Bihar government has announced the formation of a transgender welfare board which will look into the problems of the LGBTQ community, while also safeguarding their rights.
In a landmark move, the state government also announced that it would be providing financial assistance of Rs 1.5 lakh to members of the transgender community if they wished to undergo a sex-change operation.
Formation Of The Bihar Rajya Kinnar Kalyan Board
While inaugurating the Kinnar Mahotsav, an annual cultural programme of the transgender community in Patna on July 14, Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi said, “If someone [from the transgender community] undergoes sex change operation, then the Bihar government would give ₹1.5 lakh.”
देश में पहली बार बिहार सरकार ने "किन्नर महोत्सव" का आयोजन किया है। जिसका अनुसरण अब अन्य राज्य कर रहे हैं। आजादी के बाद पहली बार प्रधानमंत्री श्री नरेंद्र मोदी जी की सरकार ने ट्रांसजेंडर नर्तकी नटराज जी को पद्म श्री से विभूषित किया है।
— Sushil Kumar Modi (@SushilModi) July 14, 2019
बिहार सरकार "बिहार राज्य किन्नर कल्याण बोर्ड नियमावली को नोटिफाई कर चुकी है। इनमें मौजूद 21 सदस्य में से 5 सदस्य किन्नर समाज मनोनित किये गये है।
— Sushil Kumar Modi (@SushilModi) July 14, 2019
बिहार सरकार ने ट्रांसजेंडर व्यक्ति (किन्नर, कोथी, हिजरा) को थर्डजेंडर के रूप में घोषित करते हुए पिछड़े वर्ग की सूचि में शामिल किया है। जिससे किन्नर समाज को नोकरियों में पिछड़े वर्ग के आरक्षण का लाभ मिलेगा।
— Sushil Kumar Modi (@SushilModi) July 14, 2019
भारत सरकार के केंद्रीय केबिनेट ने एक सप्ताह पूर्व ट्रांसजेंडर पर्सन्स प्रोटेक्शन ऑफ राइट बिल को अनुमति प्रदान की है। जिसमें ट्रांसजेंडर के अधिकारों को संरक्षण प्रदान किया गया है।
— Sushil Kumar Modi (@SushilModi) July 14, 2019
He also said that the newly formed Bihar Kinnar Kalyan Board (Bihar State Transgender Welfare Board) will be taking cognisance of the facilities being provided to transgenders in other states so as to implement in Bihar as well.
Additionally, stricter punishment for those who discriminate against transgenders have been announced. Now, those who refuse house on rent or medical facilities to them would be eligible for imprisonment ranging between six months to two years.
Pride March In Bihar
Very recently, on July 14, the International Non-Binary People’s Day, Patna had its own pride parade. In 2012, when the parade was organised in the city, only 20 people attended. But in 2019, the crowd was much larger, that is, 500. As part of the Bihar Pride Parade, the participants held a 500-meter-long Transgender Pride Flag.
The crowd marched a total of about 1.8 km, starting from historic Sahitya Samelan to Rajendra Nagar’s Prem Chandra Rangshala.
Transgender Rights Bill
The Union Cabinet recently approved Transgender Rights Bill stating that it provides a mechanism for social, economic and educational empowerment of transgenders by defining their identity and rights to prohibit discrimination against them.
As per few reports, after the bill faced fire from rights activists and the LGBTQ community for some of the provisions, now, the government is likely to bring amends as per which a person would be recognised as transgender by self-identification and not through a process of presenting before a screening committee.
