Transgender transits from begging to national Lok Adalat

NEW DELHI: On Saturday, when Joyita Mondal drove into Uttar Dinajpur's Islampur court premises in West Bengal in a white car bearing a red plaque stating `judgeship on duty', it was an occasion for a community that has long found itself on the margins to celebrate.

As a transgender forced to beg for a living to a social worker chosen to be on the bench for a National Lok Adalat, it is a new beginning for Joyita which signalled a triumph over circumstances. This is the first time that a person from the community has got this opportunity . It is not just about empowerment. This is about getting into the system and getting the authority to make a difference,“ said Abheena Aher, founder of Trans Welfare Equity and Empowerment Trust.

Life came full circle for Joyita as the court was barely five minutes from the bus stand where she had slept in 2010 after hotels turned her away because of her gender. She resolved then to stand up for others like her. Her friends from the transgender community and those who know her as a social worker recall her work as the founder secretary of Dinajpur Notun Aalo Society and flooded her Facebook timeline with congratulatory messages.It is evident that her presence on the National Lok Adalat bench along with an additional sessions judge and an advocate has given hope to many .

When TOI spoke to Joyita, she said she was “elated“ and saw her appointment as a milestone that would send out a strong message against “gender bias“ against transgender persons.

Joyita's appointment order by the office of the subdivisional legal services committee of Islampur, Uttar Dinajpur, for the July 8 Lok Adalat described her as a social worker and put her in the category of “learned judges“. The decision, as per norms, was conveyed to the State Legal Services Authority in Kolkata by the chairman of the subdivisional commit tee. Members to Lok Adalat are appointed afresh every time such a special court is notified.

Joyita has been working on a range of issues related to the transgender community since 2011. At the Lok Adalat, she needed to look at bank loan-related cases.

Her presence was a surprise as she arrived at the court room in an official vehicle with a security escort.“I noticed people outside were staring at me. Some of them were even whispering on the side. I could sense their thoughts and their sarcasm. Inside the courtroom, the experience was one of dignity and respect.It gave me confidence,“ Joyita said.