Trans-community rues underrepresentation in poll rolls
Source: Chronicle News Service / Waari Singbul Network
Imphal, January 24 2024:
The transgender community in Manipur has raised strong objections to the inclusion of only 239 of their members in the state's final electoral rolls, claiming that this figure significantly underrepresents their actual population.
Santa Khurai, a trans-activist and secretary of All Manipur Nupi Manbi (trans-women) Association (AMANA), emphasised that the adult trans-population in the state exceeds 4000.The final electoral rolls, released on Monday by Manipur chief electoral officer Pradeep Kumar Jha, reported a total of 20,26,623 electors, including 10,46,706 females, with only 239 individuals identified as third gender or trans-gender.
Santa acknowledged the challenge of identifying the third gender for inclusion in the rolls but affirmed that corrective measures could be taken to rectify the gender status.
To rectify this discrepancy, AMANA plans to engage with the state election office to ensure a more accurate representation of the trans-community in the electoral rolls.
Santa also highlighted the importance of addressing issues faced by the LGBTIQ+ community, including democratic access to safe water and sanitation.