Imphal, March 21: The state of Manipur has been inspiring the country in many ways by engaging in prosperity and with development. With Lok Sabha elections nearing, the Election Commission (EC) in Manipur has roped in transgender model and actress from Manipur Bishesh Huirem as “State Icon” to inspire voters in Manipur to participate in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
According to EC, Bishesh represented India at the Miss International Queen in Thailand in 2016, has been appointed as one of the “state icons” to motivate the masses, particularly transgender, to participate in the Lok Sabha elections.
Bishesh is the first transgender celebrity in the country to be appointed as a state icon for the parliamentary polls. A graduate in fashion and apparel designing from Bangalore University, she is one of the highest-paid artistes in Manipuri films and mobile theatres.
While Mumbai social worker Shree Gauri Sawant, another transgender appointed as ‘election ambassador’ by the EC. According to EC, it’s the first time that Shree Gauri Sawant a transgender has been appointed as an election ambassador in India. Born as Ganesh Suresh Sawant, she moved out of her Pune house and shifted to Mumbai. After years of extensive struggle, Shree Gauri formed an NGO named ‘Sakhi Char Chowghi’ to provide health care services and create sexual awareness amongst transgender and the MSM community. In another progressive move, in 2001 she adopted a daughter of a sex worker who passed away while fighting HIV.
For the first time, transgender were recognised as the third gender by the commission during the 2014 Lok Sabha polls after a landmark ruling by the Supreme Court in this regard. EC officials said that a large of transgender still prefer to identify themselves as either male or female on the electoral list.