Cong’s first transgender general secretary says former Tamil Nadu CM Jayalalithaa is an inspiration, and has lots of similarities with Sonia.
Bengaluru: When the Congress Tuesday appointed Apsara Reddy, a transgender woman and prominent activist, as the national general secretary of its women’s wing, the All India Mahila Congress, it broke a major barrier.
Reddy is the first transgender person to be appointed as a general secretary of any national party.
This, however, isn’t her first foray into politics. Reddy served as a spokesperson of the All India Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) between 2016 and 2018, and also had a stint in the BJP.
A well-known activist and journalist, Reddy was handpicked by former Tamil Nadu chief minister J. Jayalalithaa for her role in the AIADMK.
It’s an association, she says, that has helped her choose her current role.
‘Both Sonia and Jayalalithaa strong-willed’
Reddy told ThePrint that she chose the Congress party as she sees a lot of similarities between Jayalalithaa and Sonia Gandhi.
“I admire Amma (Jayalalithaa) so much. There are similarities between both Soniaji and her. Both are very powerful women… and I think both have their heart in the right place,” she said in a candid interview to ThePrint. “They are very strong-willed. Look at how Sonia ji was spoken about when it came to her religion or ethnicity. Yet, she has handled her political career with dignity. Amma was the same. It has taught me to face those who want to put me down.”
Reddy says she was invited to join the party by AIMC president Sushmita Dev, who felt that she would be the right person to bring about a new wave in the grand old party.
“When I met Rahul Gandhi, he was so gracious and talked about how the Congress was committed to the mandate of gender justice and that I was the perfect fit for it,” she said.
Also read: Cong becomes first party to appoint transgender as women’s wing national general secretary
The fight for equality
For Reddy, it has always been a fight to ensure her right to dignity — be it at home, school or in the political arena.
Born as Ajay Reddy, she discovered her female identity very early in life. “At a very young age, I used to tie my hair and wear my mother’s slippers. I knew at that time itself, that deep inside me I had found my real identity as a girl,” she says.
Her school days, Reddy says, was dominated by insensitive and sometimes unkind rude comments and gestures from classmates. Her mother’s support, though, helped her plough through.
“At home, I had very trying circumstances as my father was an alcoholic. His drinking habit took a huge toll on us and I was out of school for a couple of years as my parents could not afford my fees,” she said.
“We lived in Injambakkam on the East Coast Road in Chennai and it was my mother who did not give up on me. Despite taunts and remarks from friends and neighbours, she accepted me as I was and made me the strong-willed, determined and confident woman I am today,” Reddy added.
The well-known activist joins national politics armed with more than the right credentials — she has a BA degree in Business Marketing and Investigative Journalism from Monash University and an MA in Developmental Economics from London.
She credits her political journey solely to Jayalalithaa. “I have learnt a lot from Amma (Jayalalithaa) and one thing that has stuck with me is the handling of critics with silence and dignity,” she said. “That has helped me come this far.”
‘Things are changing’
Reddy believes that the transgender community is to be blamed for some of the disrespect that is directed at it. She believes that for respect, one must conduct themselves in a manner worthy of emulation and respect.
“We can’t be creating a ‘victim syndrome’ if we want equality in society,” she said.
Even as a journalist, she says that she aspired to bring about change and realised that it could only be done when you have a voice. “Politics is that voice for me,” Reddy said.
She says that she realised that there was a sense of acceptance when she received calls from senior leaders in the AIADMK, the V.K. Sasikala faction as well as other parties, congratulating her over her appointment.
“There was a very senior politician from a national party who on national television had said that ‘people like you are naachnewaalis (dancers) who are found in weddings’,” she said. “But the same person called me and wished me luck. That was very magnanimous of him but it also shows the respect one can command by maintaining one’s poise and dignity.”