A Woman Dreams of the Indian Parliament
People are people, all over the world, we share that human vulnerability and a need to strive for something better. If, like Uttam, you can face those vulnerabilities with a smile on your face, then the entire world moves a step forward.
I admire her positive outlook, her bravery, and her refusal to be confined and defined by what the rest of us may consider to be weaknesses.
( i have edited the title to accurately reflect her gender)
Uttam baba, as she is popularly known among her ‘chelas’ (followers), dresses in bold colours and has a quintessential smile that never leaves her face. But her loud exterior belies the serious intent that is reflected in her beautiful kohl-rimmed eyes: she wants to be an agent of change. Although the 32-year-old admits that she may not have succeeded in making an impact on the upper crust Nagpur voter, she is confident that she has “made inroads into the hearts of ordinary people”. “It’s my right to dress the way I like. Nobody can object to my exercising this freedom of choice. And I really think it’s not fair to judge people on the basis of their attire or style. A politician should be known by his/her work and not by his/her clothes. I have the ability and the drive to prove myself in the arena of public service,” Senapati remarks.
Life has not been the easiest for Senapati; she knows what it is to face rejection and be denied basic rights and entitlements. After all in traditional society being ‘different’ is simply unacceptable. But it is precisely to change this oppressive reality, especially for transgenders, that Senapati made up her mind to fight this election.
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