Rajasthan Aushdhalaya will now hire transgender people in their pharmaceutical company. Society needs to change its viewpoint on the third-gender ideology. Salim Diwan, the MD of RAPL Group Mumbai: Rajasthan Aushdhalaya is taking a novel and innovative step in the pharmaceutical sector. This choice will change society’s views about transgender people and empower them to obtain equal rights and care.
Salim Diwan, the managing director of Rajasthan Aushdhalaya Pvt. Ltd. (RAPL Group), states that in today’s environment, where people from various communities are divided into various categories of societies, transgender people, or the so-called third-gender people, should be accepted by society and given recognition. Trans people have existed across all classes, races, and castes. But their recognition has always come at a cost, with added struggle. From access to social equality, social rights, education, jobs, and so on, the trans community has been victim to the dichotomous attitude of society exhibited towards them: how they are simultaneously marginalized and revered. Particularly in the field of jobs, trans people have always had difficulties, one notch higher. With the COVID-induced stagnant economy, India’s youth have been reeling under unemployment for the longest. And to add to that, people from the trans community have been the worst hit. While empty promises for jobs have been made for India’s youth since time immemorial, what rarely draws attention are job promises for transgender people.
As per the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill 2019, discrimination against a transgender person, including unfair treatment or denial of service about employment, education, healthcare, access to public goods and facilities, etc., is prohibited. Perhaps this is only a scratch on the surface.
What are the economic opportunities for transgender people?
With in-depth knowledge about transgender people, Mr. Salim Diwan believes that in India, the trans population makes up a total of 4.88 lakh, as per the 2011 census. However, only a handful of them receive employment opportunities.
According to a study conducted by the National Human Rights Commission in 2018, 96 percent of transgender people are denied jobs and are forced to take low-paying or undignified jobs for their livelihood, like bad hair, sex work, and begging. The first-ever study on the rights of transgenders also revealed that about 92 percent of transgender people are deprived of the right to participate in any form of economic activity in the country, with even qualified ones being refused jobs.
Among the respondents, around 89 percent of transgender people said there are no jobs for even qualified ones. 50–60 percent never attended school, and those who did faced severe discrimination, according to the report. The NHRC further stated that 52 percent of transgender students were harassed by their classmates and 15 percent by teachers, forcing them to discontinue their studies.
Only 6 percent of transgender people were employed in the private sector or NGOs back then, while the monthly income of only 1 percent of transgender people was noted to be above Rs. 25,000; the majority earned between Rs. 10,000 and Rs. 15,000.
The report further revealed that around 23 percent are compelled to engage in sex work, which has high health-related risks, which results in trans people being 49 times more at risk of living with HIV compared to the general population.
Often, trans people are denied jobs and opportunities in economic activities. And those who land opportunities earn way less than their co-workers. Reason? Social stigma and discrimination.
In the same direction, the Rajasthan Aushdhalaya Pharma Company has taken the initiative to give preference to these transgender or third genders for official work in sales or fieldwork. The main goal of this innovation is to change how third genders are viewed in society because, for centuries, members of this society were neglected, leading to their being social outcasts. People’s perceptions of the third gender in society will significantly change if transgender people step out of this and work in the corporate sector.
Ideally, people’s attitudes towards them will shift in society when they begin to contribute in professional positions. Salim Diwan believes that everyone in India has the freedom to live their lives as they think appropriate, and he adds that transgender people have the potential to establish themselves as successful individuals in their chosen fields. Now, equal rights in society should also be granted to transgender people, and the court has also instructed all governing bodies to ensure that these rights are implemented promptly. After receiving the President’s consent, the third gender’s rights were subsequently recognized legally on December 5, 2019.
RAPL has a nationwide network of 150,000 Ayurvedic medical professionals. Through “Rog Mukt Bharat” and “Nasha Mukti Bharat,” Rajasthan Aushadhalaya (RAPL Group) has been actively involved in the social sector for 71 years. With the help of its associated doctors, the RAPL Group has been organizing free medical clinics as part of its “Disease Free India” campaign throughout India.
Mr. Salim Diwan (MD RAPL) states that RAPL Group Dispensaries organizes free medical camps every day at over 150 different places throughout the nation, during which patients receive five days’ worth of free medications for a variety of illnesses, including de-addiction, asthma, joint pain, diabetes, and issues related to women’s health.
According to Mr. Salim Diwan, the government has granted separate identities to the transgender population, and a law has been approved on this. In light of this, society needs to change its attitude towards transgender people. Transgender people should be recognized by society and their families, and family members should share property with them in a sensible and unbiased way. There is a need to eliminate the discrimination that they face, and efforts are being made at various levels throughout India to eliminate this discrimination and change attitudes.
Transgender people should be allowed to prove themselves; they are capable, and their participation in society is essential.
According to Mr. Salim Diwan, MD of RAPL Group, even though transgender people are born among us, our society has been slow to recognize their rights. Now is the time for transgender people to be given equal opportunities and to be treated with dignity in society. If the third gender is given equal opportunities in all fields, they will be able to do all that a normal man or woman can do. Transgender people have proven their worth in the country wherever attitudes towards them have changed.
These transgender people who were successful in India proved their ability to succeed.
This year, in July, the Noida Metro Rail Corporation (MRC) made a significant effort to change social attitudes by dedicating the transgender community’s Sector-50 metro station to the Aqua Line. As a result, there are chances that society’s perception of the third gender will shift.
The most successful transgender person in India
Adam Harry is the first male transgender pilot in India, according to a story from India Today. He is 20 years old, and the government of Kerala is also providing him with a scholarship to finish his education.
The first transgender judge in India Joyita Mandal is the first transgender judge to be appointed in India. She comes from West Bengal’s Uttar Dinajpur district. He has succeeded in becoming a judge. This is a significant accomplishment for the third-gender community. Such results are tremendously inspiring, and they will improve society.
Santosh Londhe is the first female transgender person to earn a Sthak degree from Mumbai University.
Leader of the Communist Party, Surya Abhilash The first transgender person accepted into a political party at a higher position in India is Surya Abhilash. In Thiruvananthapuram, the Communist Party of India’s youth wing first accepted transgender people, who are now prominently involved in politics.
Gyandev is the first transgender sarpanch in Maharashtra state, serving in the Tarngaphal village in the Malshiras taluka. The majority of the rural people supported Gyandev, resulting in a change in their perception of society. The first transgender sarpanch in Maharashtra was then elected.
Shabnam Mausi, a transgender woman who has struggled to set an example in Indian society, was elected MLA in Madhya Pradesh in 1998 by winning the assembly elections.
The Andhra Pradesh government is providing a pension of Rs 1500 per month to transgender people, which will help them maintain stability. This pension is being provided to 26,000 such transgender people who are older than 18 years.
It is noteworthy that on November 26, 2019, the Indian Parliament passed the Transgender Act for Transgender Persons, which aims to protect the rights and welfare of transgender people in India. The third gender’s rights were then officially recognized on December 5, 2019, following the President’s permission.
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