Transgender as OBCs: ‘We’re not happy with government move’

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Transgender people in the city are unhappy with state government’s decision to treat them as Other Backward Classes (OBC) for the purpose of giving them reservation in jobs.

They say OBC space was already crowded and it would be next to impossible for them to secure seats in higher educational institutions and jobs in government sectors under OBC quota. Either the government should have placed them in SC,ST category or should have allocated a fixed percentage or sub quota within the OBC quota for them.

The Madhya Pradesh cabinet on Tuesday decided to grant reservation to transgender people under OBC category. The total population of transgender people in the state is about 30,000.

Sanjana Singh Rajput, a member at District Legal Services Authority, told Free Press that they don’t think they would benefit from it as OBC space was already crowded. “The OBC people are still struggling for their rights. It would be better that we should be placed in SC/ST category or allocated a fixed percentage or sub quota within OBC quota,” Singh said.

Kinnar Guru Suraiya said they would be happy had they received some benefit. “It is an election stunt, nothing more than that,” Suraiya added. “If the government really thinks about us, then they should give benefit of all schemes, which men and women are getting,” Soniya, a transgender said.