God’s own country sees interfaith, transgender couple wed
The bride in a red silk sari and the groom in a shiny brown suit occupied the centre stage as attendees vied for a chance to click a photograph with them. Pomp and glitter marked the state’s first registered transgender marriage in the state capital on Thursday.
Ishan (34), a marketing professional and Surya (31), an activist and television anchor, have registered their marriage under the Special Marriage Act. The couple announced their decision to marry two months ago on social media. The wedding was a joyful occasion for the members of the transgender community who came from different parts of the state. The mayor VP Prasanth, former Member of Parliament TN Seema, actor Bhagyalakshmi, and academician and activist J Devika were also present to bless the couple.
“It is just the beginning. We will be a role model for others. We will show the world transgender people can also lead a decent life like others. Society’s attitude is slowly changing,” said bride Surya after the wedding. Both had undergone gender reaffirmation surgeries some years ago — Ishan, who was assigned gender female at birth, underwent a surgery in 2015 to affirm his identity as a man, while
Surya, who was assigned gender male at birth, underwent a surgery in 2014 to affirm her identity as a woman.
People who experience gender dysphoria — extreme discomfort with the gender assigned at birth — often do not find support within families. Surya, who hails from a middle class family, was forced to leave her home after her surgery. Ishan hails from an orthodox Muslim family. However, both their families eventually came around. They participated in the wedding held in a private club at the heart of the city and to which more than 1000 guests were invited.
The duo met two years ago while working for Oasis Cultural Society, a collective of transgender persons in Thiruvananthapuram. Both are members of the governmentappointed transgender justice board.
“Some years ago we couldn’t have imagined such a function in the heart of Thiruvananthapuram. Things are slowly changing and we have started getting some acceptance in the society. We hope this marriage will set the ball rolling,” said P Rani, a transgender activist hailing from north Kerala’s Kozhikode.
SIGNIFICANCE
Janakpur is the capital of Nepal’s Province 2, which is the country’s only Madhesi dominated unit and also the only one of the seven provinces not ruled by the Oli-led communist alliance. It is governed by Madhesi parties and the Chief Minister is a Muslim Madhesi leader, Mohammed Lalbabu Raut.
Modi will be welcomed by Oli; he will visit the Janaki temple; and he will attend a civic reception and give a public speech, where he is expected to announce a bus service from Janak-
DEBATE
The visit has stirred up a debate.
On the one hand are critics who believe that Modi is using religion for diplomacy, which does not behove a secular state like India. India must not get into this trap; given its multi religious framework, the leadership must stay away from religious symbols and association, goes this argument. It is also argued that a foreign visit is being used to push a domestic political agenda. They also read in it an effort by the ruling government to continue to push the agenda of a Hindu state in Nepal.
On the other hand are those who argue that religion is a perfectly legitimate tool of soft power diplomacy. In the neighbourhood, India’s pur to Ayodhya, the birthplace of Ram, which has considerable political significance for the BJP. In Nepal, the speech will be carefully watched for the messaging around Madhesi issues and how he recognises their aspirations while taking into account sensitivities of the host government in Kathmandu. In India, the visit is being watched closely for his visit to the temple town will happen a day before Karnataka goes to polls, and in the run-up to a possible court verdict in the Ram Janmabhoomi case and the 2019 polls.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:
strength is its cultural links, goes this argument, and these must be leveraged. The fact that hundreds of thousands of Nepalis come to India for pilgrimage and vice versa should be acknowledged, rather than skirted. Proponents of this theory point out that the Janakpur visit must be seen as a larger part of Indian cultural diplomacy, which is neither Nepal-specific nor Hindu-specific. Modi visited Pashupatinath in Kathmandu; the Toji temple in Japan; the Gangaramaya Temple in Sri Lanka; and the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in United Arab Emirates among other sites. He has also consciously highlighted India’s Buddhist heritage. This suggests India’s religious-cultural diplomacy is here to stay.