My child, who was born in a male body, did not choose this life of struggle, where she is being bullied and hated for who she is… the recent incident at her school Assam It has shaken the very roots of our faith in the institutions that are meant to protect and nurture our youth… School, which should be a sanctuary of learning, has become an arena for judgment… This is my daughter’s plight, a plight shared by many, often silenced by the shadow of ignorance.
This is an excerpt from a letter Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma By a woman from Guwahati Photos her 17 year old daughter transgender Last month, a photo she posted on social media of her daughter lying in a swimming pool wearing a bikini forced her to leave school.
While the mother has accused the principal of the prestigious co-educational school in Guwahati of “defaming”, “undermining” and “mocking” her daughter and “targeting her authenticity and existence”, the school authorities have said the pictures amounted to “obscenity” and have only asked that the post be removed from social media.
While the world was celebrating June as Pride Month, pictures of a transgender girl in a bikini taken during a family vacation on June 9 and posted on social media not only became a point of controversy between the school and her family but also raised questions about the issue of gender. Inclusiveness In educational institutions of India.
The family has demanded several changes from Sarma – from embracing diversity with gender-inclusive uniforms in schools to increasing security against violence against women. Naughty and harassment.
Further, the state’s Transgender Welfare Board has approached the Assam State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (ASCPCR) stating that “no one can sexualise the body of a child or his/her image.”
On June 26, the ASCPCR began hearing the case, where the transgender girl’s family narrated the incident. Commission chairman Shyamal Prasad Saikia said, “We heard the complainant and will now call the school authorities. After hearing both sides, we will hold a meeting on a fixed date. Legal action will be initiated after that.”
On June 10, a day after the transgender girl posted the photos, the school principal called the parents at 9 pm. “‘Your daughter is disgusting and shameful. Come tomorrow and expel her from my school…’ is what the principal told me,” the student’s mother said over the phone.
The family opted to transfer from the school, as they said it “violated his right to existence.”
The school management said they had taken care of the 17-year-old student and provided her counselling, besides protecting her from harassment by some students.
The principal said that when she posted pictures in swimsuits “expressing obscenity”, the school earned “bad name” in the academic world and the school cannot tolerate “such behaviour”. He said that the school never had the intention to target her and they had only asked her to remove the post.
However, the student’s family accused the school of using the bikini photo issue as an excuse to expel her from the school. They alleged that she was targeted because of her gender. “The school does not find similar photos posted by boys disgusting or shameful. This shows their sick mentality,” the mother said.
In a letter to the Assam Chief Minister, which later went viral on social media, the student’s mother said, “My daughter, with dreams as big as the Brahmaputra, has faced the height of discrimination and prejudice. Yet, she is undeterred and aspires to contribute to society…”
“The principal’s phone call at night is a reminder of the struggles we still face. Her social media, which is a medium for personal expression, was scrutinized and vilified. A family pool outing, which was meant to be a moment of innocent joy, was turned into a weapon of shame simply because my daughter wore a bikini,” the letter said.
“We asked for a transfer certificate from the school as she was shamed and faced mental harassment. We decided to keep her away from such a toxic environment,” her mother said, adding that the family wants a public apology from the school. Now, she may have to skip an entire academic year as she was issued a transfer certificate in the middle of an ongoing session.
“In the explanation given to us, the school admits that the photographs were sexually explicit. I have forwarded it to the ASCPCR, with the caveat that no one can show a child’s body and photographs in a sexualised manner,” said Rituparna Neog, chairperson of the state transgender welfare board. Neog is also a member of the National Council for Transgender Persons.
The principal told the Times of India that the message was conveyed to the family in a clear manner. “Body piercings, tattoos are against our rules. Posting obscene pictures on social media is not appropriate. We told them they can delete the pictures and start behaving properly or the student will be expelled from the school,” he said.
“I am happy that transgenders will now raise their voice for freedom and fairness. They looked at my photos but did not acknowledge my academic achievements,” said the student, who passed Class 10 with 76% marks.
This is an excerpt from a letter Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma By a woman from Guwahati Photos her 17 year old daughter transgender Last month, a photo she posted on social media of her daughter lying in a swimming pool wearing a bikini forced her to leave school.
While the mother has accused the principal of the prestigious co-educational school in Guwahati of “defaming”, “undermining” and “mocking” her daughter and “targeting her authenticity and existence”, the school authorities have said the pictures amounted to “obscenity” and have only asked that the post be removed from social media.
While the world was celebrating June as Pride Month, pictures of a transgender girl in a bikini taken during a family vacation on June 9 and posted on social media not only became a point of controversy between the school and her family but also raised questions about the issue of gender. Inclusiveness In educational institutions of India.
The family has demanded several changes from Sarma – from embracing diversity with gender-inclusive uniforms in schools to increasing security against violence against women. Naughty and harassment.
Further, the state’s Transgender Welfare Board has approached the Assam State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (ASCPCR) stating that “no one can sexualise the body of a child or his/her image.”
On June 26, the ASCPCR began hearing the case, where the transgender girl’s family narrated the incident. Commission chairman Shyamal Prasad Saikia said, “We heard the complainant and will now call the school authorities. After hearing both sides, we will hold a meeting on a fixed date. Legal action will be initiated after that.”
On June 10, a day after the transgender girl posted the photos, the school principal called the parents at 9 pm. “‘Your daughter is disgusting and shameful. Come tomorrow and expel her from my school…’ is what the principal told me,” the student’s mother said over the phone.
The family opted to transfer from the school, as they said it “violated his right to existence.”
The school management said they had taken care of the 17-year-old student and provided her counselling, besides protecting her from harassment by some students.
The principal said that when she posted pictures in swimsuits “expressing obscenity”, the school earned “bad name” in the academic world and the school cannot tolerate “such behaviour”. He said that the school never had the intention to target her and they had only asked her to remove the post.
However, the student’s family accused the school of using the bikini photo issue as an excuse to expel her from the school. They alleged that she was targeted because of her gender. “The school does not find similar photos posted by boys disgusting or shameful. This shows their sick mentality,” the mother said.
In a letter to the Assam Chief Minister, which later went viral on social media, the student’s mother said, “My daughter, with dreams as big as the Brahmaputra, has faced the height of discrimination and prejudice. Yet, she is undeterred and aspires to contribute to society…”
“The principal’s phone call at night is a reminder of the struggles we still face. Her social media, which is a medium for personal expression, was scrutinized and vilified. A family pool outing, which was meant to be a moment of innocent joy, was turned into a weapon of shame simply because my daughter wore a bikini,” the letter said.
“We asked for a transfer certificate from the school as she was shamed and faced mental harassment. We decided to keep her away from such a toxic environment,” her mother said, adding that the family wants a public apology from the school. Now, she may have to skip an entire academic year as she was issued a transfer certificate in the middle of an ongoing session.
“In the explanation given to us, the school admits that the photographs were sexually explicit. I have forwarded it to the ASCPCR, with the caveat that no one can show a child’s body and photographs in a sexualised manner,” said Rituparna Neog, chairperson of the state transgender welfare board. Neog is also a member of the National Council for Transgender Persons.
The principal told the Times of India that the message was conveyed to the family in a clear manner. “Body piercings, tattoos are against our rules. Posting obscene pictures on social media is not appropriate. We told them they can delete the pictures and start behaving properly or the student will be expelled from the school,” he said.
“I am happy that transgenders will now raise their voice for freedom and fairness. They looked at my photos but did not acknowledge my academic achievements,” said the student, who passed Class 10 with 76% marks.
