Transwoman leads panel in Sanskrit varsity union polls

Nadira is a State committee member of AISF

The upcoming election at the Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit, Kalady, seems to have thrown up a perfect platform for Nadira Mehrin, a young transwoman, who wanted to prove to society at every turn that her gender had nothing to do with her potential.

As the chairperson candidate, Nadira is leading the panel of the All India Students’ Federation (AISF), which claims the decision to be historic. A State committee member of the AISF for the past three years, this is her second outing in campus election having unsuccessfully contested as general secretary at Kerala University in 2019. But that has not dampened Nadira’s spirit a wee bit, as she looks forward to the upcoming contest to change her fortune.

“Students here seem to be more liberal-minded and are responding positively to my campaign irrespective of their party affiliations. While most political parties and student outfits have trans members, it is important to elect them to responsible posts to create awareness in society that we are as capable as others,” said Nadira, a first-year MA student of theatre. Confident of her victory, she believes that it will have a far-reaching impact going way beyond the campus.

“It will be a confidence booster to the trans community convincing them to excel in their chosen field,” said Nadira who wants to empower her community and address problems facing women in general.

Nadira’s campaign is going full swing in compliance with the COVID-19 protocol, with the election scheduled for March 4. She never hid her interest in contesting elections and terms her campaign as an indicator of how her gender has not limited her in any way.

Hailing from Thiruvananthapuram, Nadira did her graduation in journalism before doing postgraduation in political science at Kerala University. Active in modelling and films, she aims to earn a PhD in her chosen field without compromising her ambitions in politics.

The upcoming election, Nadira hopes, will be a solid step in that direction.