JOIN USHigh Court justice to LGBT community
For the first time in the judicial history of the country, a transgender has been appointed a court employee. The Karnataka High Court on Saturday appointed a transgender as a Class-IV government employee in the Court.
Anu, a member of the sexual minority community in Bangalore, is the beneficiary of the bold step towards equality.
Justice Altamas Kabir, Supreme Court Judge and Chairperson of the National Legal Services Authority, on Saturday handed over the letter of appointment to Anu at the valedictory function of the Mega Lok Adalat that concluded here.
Anu, 27, was born a boy, but developed feminine characteristics, leading to alienation from society. Discrimination at school forced Anu to discontinue education after fifth standard.
Rejected by society, Anu found shelter in a City-based NGO, Sangama, and began working as a social activist. During a recent regional seminar on transgenders and law, the fate of transgenders and the problems they faced due to social alienation was highlighted.
When the NGO brought the matter to the notice of High Court senior judges, Justices Manjula Chellur and N K Patil, who had attended the seminar, they were moved by their plight and decided on this bold step to appoint a transgender.
“Sexual minorities have faced discrimination in employment, forcing them to look for livelihood through means looked down upon. Viewing this seriously, the High Court has given Anu employment,” said a judicial officer.
Justice N K Patil, who is also Chairperson of the High Court Legal Services Authority, on whose initiative Anu got the job, told Deccan Herald, “It is the duty of the government to provide employment to sexual minorities. The State Judiciary has a duty to protect them and has given an opportunity to the transgenders to be on a par with the mainstream society. This will be a model example in the country. We hope this will set a trend.”
Justice Kabir handed over the letter of appointment to Anu in the presence of Chief Justice Vikramajit Sen and Justice Sreedhar Rao, Chairperson, Karnataka State Legal Services Authority and Justice Patil. Anu will report for duty on Monday.