Raichur welcomes its first transgender teacher

Pooja, 34, is among the three transgender persons who have been selected for the post of a government teacher in the State this year.

Pooja, a 34-year-old transwoman from Neeramanvi village in Manvi taluk of Raichur district, has been selected for the post of Graduate Primary Teacher for Classes 6 to 8 this year. Pooja passed the examinations conducted by the Department of School Education in the month of May 2022 and her name appeared in the provisional list published by the education department recently.

She is among the three transgender persons who have been selected for the post of a government teacher in the State.

“I wanted to become a good teacher and also work for the welfare of the transgender community, which is suffering due to lack of education and is unable to lead a life of dignity,” Pooja told The Hindu.

Pooja was born Ashwathama in a middle class family to Mareppa and Yellamma, and was the fifth of six children. Growing up, he was humiliated and harassed for his gender identity by friends in college and people from his village. Nevertheless, Ashwathama persisted with his studies. He pursued a Bachelor of Arts degree at a government college in Manvi and went on to get an MA in History from Gulbarga University at Sindhanur, Kalaburagi. He also obtained a B.Ed in Social Science at Raichur. 

However, after completing the B.Ed. course, Ashwathama moved to Bengaluru, unable to bear the harassment by those around him. He then underwent a Gender Reassignment Surgery and transitioned into a woman, changing his name to Pooja. 

Meanwhile, Pooja’s parents contacted her and urged her to come back to their village, promising to support her and respect her decision to live as she wishes. Once Pooja returned home, she focused on her career. When the State government called for applications from eligible candidates, she used the reservation available to transgender people and applied for the post of a teacher in March 2022. 

“As a transwoman, I used the Supreme Court order which allows people from our community to apply for government posts. I wrote examinations and got selected. I appeal to all transgender people to concentrate on their education and, if possible, get a government job to lead a respectful life,” she said.