Growing up in Pullur Urakam in Kerala, Nandana Vishnu was subjected to a great deal of ridicule by the people in her village. Now 23 years old, Vishnu enjoys the adulation of those same villagers, having recently been named the first transgender district committee member of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI)—the student wing of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). She believes that the change in the perception of her villagers reflects of an “increasingly progressive mindset”, and now, she plans to take it a step further.
Vishnu—who is now the district committee member for Thrissur—had joined SFI straight out of high-school back in 2015. Speaking to The Indian Express, Vishnu says that she decided to join SFI after transgender activist and Abhaasam actress Sheetal Shyam implored her to step-up and raise her voice.
Vishnu also attributes her accomplishments to her family—including her parents, a younger brother and two aunts—whose support helped her through her journey. “If it weren’t for the support and encouragement they provided me growing up, I would not have the voice that is now letting me speak for myself and my community,” she says.
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Vishnu observes that Kerala has already embarked on a journey of betterment. In October 2017, the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), a youth wing of CPI(M), inducted nine members of the transgender community into the organisation. Additionally, transgender persons were offered employment by the Kochi Metro to open up better working opportunities for the persecuted community. However, there’s more work to be done.
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Utilising her position, Vishnu hopes to better the state of healthcare and education for her community, among other things. She says, “Only if I make active efforts to let my voice be heard will I be a source of motivation to other transgender people. I want the fact that I am a district committee member to encourage them to step forth and join the public sphere and even politics.”
Along with her new role, Vishnu will also hopes to get into a Thrissur college to pursue a Sociology degree this year.
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Proudly asserting that being a district committee member is not a mere trophy tag, she says, “I do not want to be made to feel ‘special’ or ‘different’ because that would then undermine equality. I have been invited to all meetings and activities ever since joining. I will also be representing Thrissur district in the state-level SFI meeting this year.” Vishnu adds that she is an active participant with SFI, as opposed to other organisations, where transgenders are used for hollow representation.
Spilling her dreams of contesting in parliamentary elections one day, Vishnu says, “There is a lot to do for the people. As a role model, I want to be part of the mainstream society and be an inspiration to all transgender youth.” She adds, “I want to make my presence felt through the activities undertaken by me and be a source of motivation for everyone in the transgender community.”
