Hijras (Trans Gender) Community in India and Stand of Media

Abstract

The Hijras or Transgender community in India is an important part of society. Even the law can't deny their existence. The Supreme Court recently created the "third gender" status for Hijras or transgender. Earlier, they were forced to write male or female against their gender. The SC asked the Centre to treat transgender as socially and economically backward. We live in the 21st century where human rights are assured and preserved for human beings except the third gender i.e., transgender. Despite all constitutional guarantees, the transgender is even denied to have their basic rights like the right to dignity, personal liberty, education, freedom of expression etc. The Hijras and other members of the transgender community face discrimination and harassment and exclusion in the mainstream and malestream society just because they do not conform to the traditional social norms about gender in society. This exclusion has been visualized to contribute to keeping non-normative sexual and gendered minorities at bay - invisible and bereft of power, a process that can be referred to as symbolic eradication. The projection of the Hijras in Media generates a 'worldview' that needs a lot of scrutinies, analysis and social work interventions. Based on a review of available literature, this Research Project tries to delve deep into these issues. The research deals with the problems transgender faces in a developing country like India and the stand of media for their protection and representation. The study also covered how the presence of transgender is excluded from society and what law and order is doing to convert that social exclusion into social inclusion and what media is doing for the same.