Dear Imphal Times,
I am glad to have people like you who are sensible towards gender and sexual minorities’ rights. We have been receiving support from Imphal Times continuously and help in scaling up awareness to the people about the reality faced by Nupi Maanbi Community.
Today I have read an article from your end and it has reflected certain corcerned of the community that has been neglected by the state inspite of the legal developments that comes out in the recent years.
However in the article there are few areas where I found confusion and conflated.
* The transgender rights bills comes out later 2014 and it is extremely regressive and harming the community. And the introduction of the article seems the bills is in favour of the community and because of the non implementation community have not been getting benefit out of it. Which I think it falsely address the bill
* The bill recognised only transgender/third gender but not as either male or female which has totally against the rights to self determination, body autonomy and gender non binary and this is contrary to the Supreme Court NALSA judgement. And the article convey the supportive message the recognition of third gender and failed to reflect the direction of SC NALSA judgement on freedom of self identification
* Manipur has transgender welfare board and it was formed in 2017 and chaired by the minister of social welfare but is not functioning. The article didn’t mention this fact
I would be happy to share information in the near future, if any of the journalist wish to write article about the community of the state.
Warm Regards,
Santa Khurai