Chhattisgarh Gets Woke, Police Force Set to Hire Trans People

(Photo: ANI Screengrab)

Video Producer: Shorbori Purkayastha
Video Editor: Mohd Ibrahim

Several members of Chhattisgarh’s trans community have been going through rigorous physical training as the state’s police is preparing to hire trans constables into soon.

At least 40-50 trans people will be facing the physical fitness exam in the coming week, along with other genders, following which they will have to sit through a mandatory written test as well.

Although members of this state’s trans community won’t be the first trans people to be in the Indian police force, this is the first official recruitment drive aimed at hiring them.

Currently, there’s a 14% reservation in government jobs and education for trans people in Chhattisgarh.

This recruitment drive came after the Chhattisgarh government asked the police to hire trans people in accordance with a Supreme Court judgment.

Tanushree Shah, an applicant for a police job, told ANI, “We want to work just like other men and women. We wish to protect Chhattisgarh and also offer our lives for the country.”

A Supreme Court ruling from 2014 declared that people who identify with “third gender” should be treated as equals, as per the fundamental rights enshrined in the Indian Constitution.

Activist and member of the Third Gender Welfare Board, Vidya Rajpoot praised the move and said, “This social change is finally helping trans people grow the self-esteem to be able to do something.”

Earlier in December 2017, Hindustan Times reported that Chhattisgarh police had proposed to recruit about 35,000 constables from each of the state’s 27 districts, including the 17 which are facing Maoist insurgency.

(The Quint is now on WhatsApp. To receive handpicked stories on topics you care about, subscribe to our WhatsApp services. Just go to TheQuint.com/WhatsApp and hit send)