Unveiling the Utterance of a Subaltern Class: Analysis of Selected Transgender Autobiographies from India

  • Haripriya R J Nair and Dr Manjula KT
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  • Haripriya R J Nair

    Research Scholar at College of Social Science and Humanities, Srinivas University, Mangalore and Assistant Professor at PG Department of English, Christ Nagar College, Maranalloor, India.

  • Dr Manjula KT

    Research Professor at Srinivas University, Mangalore, India.

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Abstract

Transgender or people whose gender identity or gender differs from the sex that they were assigned at birth are generally a class of subalterns. They are deprived of even basic and most fundamental rights by different societies. Indian society is also not different. In India people are forced to behave according to the gender constructs which is too narrow and closed. Thus transgender who falls outside the binary classification of gender as male and female are crushed by the cogs of Indian gender norms for years. They are forced to hide their actual gender notions and behave according to the sex they were assigned at birth. This will leads to a traumatic life for the third genders. Gender othering is unbearable when it turns out to be a weapon capable of even taking the lives of transgender. Though many raised their voice against the injustice shown in different realms, the utterance is never fully heard by the society. Thus the research entitled Unveiling the Utterance of a Subaltern Class: Analysis of Selected Transgender Autobiographies from India tries to analyse through the support of selected transgender autobiographies various forms of oppression faced transgender as a subaltern class even today. Design/ Methodology/ Approach: The research takes the support of qualitative methods for study. It will be a qualitative analysis including textual analysis, in depth study, close reading as well as interpreting, comparing and contrasting the primary sources chosen for the study. Data for the research will be collected with the help of library resources and online sources. Different articles and books relating to transgender autobiographies from India are carefully read and analysed for the research. Subaltern theory which stands for understanding the society through conditions of subordination of people belonging to the different caste, class, age, gender, race and so on is taken as a effective tool or instrument for analysing the selected autobiographies. Findings/Results: Even now transgender continues to be a subaltern group in India and this is a serious blow on the face of democratic India. Thus a research aiming at addressing the long unheard and silenced voices of transgender and trying to uplift them from their marginal positions to the mainstream is highly essential for India. The research entitled Unveiling the Utterance of a Subaltern Class: Analysis of Selected Transgender Autobiographies from India therefore aims at bringing about a change in subaltern status of transgender in the Indian society. For this, various issues faced by transgender community in India will be addressed with the help of selected autobiographies by transgender themselves and solutions will be offered to wipe out their agonies. Originality/Value: Possible solutions for safeguarding the life and dignity of transgender community like institutionalising the category called third gender along with the traditional binary divisions of gender, realising the legal support for trans community, authorising transgender rights, punishing heteronormative assumptions and violence against transgender will be suitably suggested. Changes which can be brought about in socio-economic, political and legal levels within India will be suggested to raise the transgender from their present subordinate positions.

Type

Research Paper

Information

International Journal of Law Management and Humanities, Volume 5, Issue 1, Page 493 - 505

DOI: https://doij.org/10.10000/IJLMH.112487

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