GUWAHATI, Aug 18 - The Assam State Policy for Transgender, which was approved by the State Cabinet recently, has included provisions of Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019, which are at present sub judice before the Supreme Court, the All Assam Transgender Association (AATA) has alleged.
The AATA made the allegation in a memorandum submitted to the office of the Chief Minister recently. It has also sent copies of the memorandum to the office of the Prime Minister, the Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment, the National Human Rights Commission and to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
In the memorandum AATA expressed astonishment to see the tempered, altered and manipulated Cabinet-approved policy on transgender prepared by ex-commissioner of disability Kaushar Hilaly. It said that the Cabinet-approved policy contained provisions of Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act 2019, which are at present sub judice before the Supreme Court of India. The memorandum also alleged that the provisions of the Act were not in the draft policy prepared by Hilaly.
AATA also alleged that a section of senior officials of the government have made some anti-transgender changes in the Memorandum of Association and Rules for Transgender Welfare Board, which was prepared earlier by AATA president and transgender activist Swati Bidhan Barua on the request of the government for the purpose of registration of the Transgender Welfare Board.
The memorandum further alleged that the two drafts which AATA had submitted, were altered and manipulated and from 12 pages, those were reduced to a three-page draft. Thus, the reconstructed draft became a useless and vague piece more draconian in nature, and meant to benefit the NGOs and not the transgender community, the memorandum read.
The memorandum also pointed out that due to the negligence of some senior State government officials, transgender voters of Assam faced humiliation and harassment while going to exercise their franchise in the elections.
Meanwhile, responding to the memorandum, the joint secretary in the Chief Minister�s secretariat has written to the office of the State Chief Secretary urging necessary action.
