Bengaluru activists bat for missing rainbow hues in Parliament Premium
The Hindu
When the case to legalise same-sex marriage was going on in the Supreme Court of India, the Government of India vehemently argued that it should be the parliament of India making a decision on it.
When the case to legalise same-sex marriage was going on in the Supreme Court of India, the Government of India vehemently argued that it should be the parliament of India making a decision on it.
But Akkai Padmashali, transgender activist and Rajyotsava awardee, has an important question: “If they want to discuss our rights at the parliament, then shouldn’t our people be inside the parliament?”
She was talking to The Hindu launching a campaign for political representation for LGBTQIA+ communities in the Indian Parliament and state legislative assemblies and councils. The launch of the campaign coincided with 28 June honoured as Pride Day in memory of the Stonewall Rebellion in the US on 28 June 1969.
“This campaign is about every sexual minority coming under one umbrella and demanding political representation,” Ms Padmashali said.
As part of the campaign signed letters will be sent to heads of all major political parties including INC, BJP, CPI(M), CPM, DMK, AIADMK, TMC, BSP, SP, NCP, Shiv Sena, AAP, JDS, BJD, TDP and YSR Congress among others. While a few of the political parties like DMK and NCP have members from the community working for the parties, there are no elected representatives yet.
“Being inside the party is different from being inside the parliament. When the transgender protection rights act was passed in 2019, it was non-consultative and non-democratic. They didn’t bother what our community needs,” Ms Padmashali said.
“When you are inside the parliament, you can raise your voice for the community, and you can bring change. The legislative and all the committees formed have disappointed us. So, give us space, we will only speak for ourselves,” she added.
No room for complacency till counting is completed, Chandrababu Naidu tells TDP-BJP-JSP contestants. The TDP-BJP-JSP alliance will register a comfortable victory in the general elections over the YSRCP, he says. Alleging that the YSRCP has conspired to create disturbances on the counting day, the TDP national president advises the chief counting agents and their teams to see to it that the officials adhere to norms related to counting.