Why you should read this book: The Truth about Me: A Hijra Life Story by A. Revathi is a classic autobiography that explores the life of a transwoman from Tamil Nadu. It vividly depicts the structural challenges that trans Indians have faced for generations and unveils the struggles and unwavering resilience of the Hijra community.

Why I read this book: Through one woman's story, the book offers an empathetic view into the struggles of transgender Indians. It highlights their experiences and challenges transphobic perceptions. It also delves into the history and culture of the Hijra community.

Review:

A. Revathi's 2010 memoir The Truth About Me is already a classic of Indian non-fiction. Its author, the writer and activist Revathi, provides an honest yet powerful narrative of her experiences as a transgender woman and offers insight into India's hijra community. The transgender individuals categorized under this name have led distinctly and vibrantly queer lives, but they have been pushed to the margins of society and lived at the risk of violence for centuries.

For many upper-class urban Indians, the word 'hijra' may be familiar only as a homophobic slur. In modern India, the hijra community is discriminated against in multiple ways - economically, geographically, and socio-politically. Despite guarantees of the right to education for children aged 6 to14 years under Article 21A of the Indian Constitution, a 2017 report by the National Human Rights Commission revealed that 29% of transgender people in Delhi and 33% in Uttar Pradesh have never attended school. More than 50% of those who did were subjected to harassment by peers, while 15% were tormented by their teachers, resulting in their complete withdrawal from formal education.

All the way across the subcontinent, in the state of Tamil Nadu, Revathi was assigned male at birth and given a male name. As a child, she encountered instances of violence and abuse both at school and within her family due to her feminine behavior. Nevertheless, upon her initial encounter with a cohort of individuals from transgender Kothi people on an educational excursion to Namakal, she experienced a profound sense of affinity and resolved to leave for Delhi with them, so that she could embrace her gender identity authentically.

There, Revathi encountered the harsh realities of life as a hijra person, where social ostracism, aggression, and sexual violation were all too common. Months later, fatigued by her experiences, she returned home, where she discovered she was not welcome. Eventually, after a stint in sex work, she secured employment with Sangama, an NGO based in Bangalore, dedicated to advocating for the rights of sexual minorities.

This is one of her life's major turning points. When Revathi takes up her job at Sangama, she defies the traditional path laid out for hijra people. At Sangama, she gains awareness about her rights, and learns how to promote them among the wider population. This whole section is a moving account of how a basic opportunity, such as access to formal employment, can change the life of a person from a historically excluded group - as well as the lives of those around them.

Revathi's memoir, translated from Tamil by V. Geetha, is more than just a personal account. It is the story of what it's like to live in the corners of society that the mainstream world doesn't know, and sometimes doesn't care about. The Truth About Me is also a critical resource that makes it clear that India desperately needs inclusivity in society and in workspaces.

When one grows up with acceptance, one often overlooks the profound struggles others face for basic dignity. This book opened my eyes to the profound hardships of those for whom getting accepted in society is a distant dream. It has expanded my own ideas of awareness and compassion. To others in the DEI space, I believe the book will serve as a powerful reminder to professionals in DEI of the profound impact that empathy and acceptance can have in making more equal workplaces, and how that, in turn, creates more equal societies.

For more information about the book, please click here.

Text by Abhinandan Dheiman. Image taken from Penguin Random House India.