‘With CAA-NRC, Being Trans Today Is Suicidal’: Community Speaks Up

‘Why put the burden of proving our citizenship upon us?’ Trans community opposes the CAA-NRC.

The trans community rejects the CAA-NRC combination. 

(Photo: The Quint) 

The trans community has rejected the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, calling it ‘unconstitutional’ and against the ethos of the country. The community claims that the Act, when looked at with the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019 and the NRC, will make survival for the trans community much more difficult.

Lack of necessary documents, widespread discrimination against them, and violence perpetrated by their own families were some of the reasons cited by the community for rejecting the CAA-NRC.

“Almost 2000 transgenders were excluded from the National Register of Citizens (NRC) during the exercise in Assam. We understand what discrimination is. The Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), the National Register of Citizens are discriminatory in nature and we oppose them.”

Bittu, Professor at Asoka University

Many believe these steps have been taken in order to push some communities to the fringes.

“This insistence of having documents is very unnecessary and seems like the government wants to wipe out a huge chunk of certain communities from the country. And wanting to keep a community separate and in a silo. ” 

Phillip, Activist

A fashion designer said it is ‘suicidal’ to be a trans person in the country right now.

“The NRC-CAA-Trans Act combination is suicidal for the trans community. We already know that the trans law that has been passed, one has to prove one’s ‘trans-ness’ by undergoing a medical check. With the NRC now it will be a double thing. You have to fight for your background, your documents, where are you coming from. One is already fighting with one’s gender and identity and upon which you are fighting to prove that you are a citizen of this country!”

Sumiran Kabir, Fashion Designer

The recently passed Citizenship (Amendment Act), 2019 (CAA), the proposed pan-India National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the National Population Register (NPR) have been met with much resistance, and sparked countrywide as well as global protests.

The government has tried to provide some clarity through the Press Information Bureau (PIB), Twitter and other social media platforms. Unfortunately, the clarifications are vague and lacking in detail, and seem to be issued without legal authority. Nothing in these clarifications or Prime Minister Modi’s address of 22 December 2019 sheds light on the finer details of how the CAA and the NRC would function, leaving several questions unanswered