Dharmashastra National Law University (DNLU), Jabalpur, successfully hosted the National Conference on Transgender Rights, titled "Transcending the Binary: Exploring Transgender Rights," on 1st & 2nd September,2024.
The Inaugural Ceremony was attended by Justice Dinesh Kumar Paliwal, Judge, High Court of Madhya Pradesh as the Chief Guest. While delivering the inaugural address, Justice Paliwal highlighted the importance of the welfare of the transgender community, drawing parallels with historical references in the Mahabharata and Ramayana, and recommended several measures for creating a more inclusive environment. He also discussed the current legal framework and suggested legislative and executive changes for the betterment of the transgender community. Prof. (Dr.) V. K. Ahuja, Director of the Indian Law Institute (ILI), New Delhi also marked his presence and delivered keynote address that set the tone for the conference.
In his welcome address, Prof. (Dr.) Manoj Kumar Sinha, the Vice Chancellor of DNLU, underscored the importance of recent Supreme Court judgments, notably the landmark NALSA and Navtej Singh Johar cases, which have been instrumental in recognizing and upholding transgender rights in India. Prof. Sinha emphasized that while these legal milestones are significant, they must be complemented by broader societal change to foster a truly inclusive society.
The two-days conference, organized by the Centre for Constitutional Law (CCL) at DNLU, brought together legal scholars, practitioners, activists, and policymakers from across the country to discuss and address the rights and challenges faced by transgender individuals in India.
Held in a hybrid format, with both in-person and online participation, the event featured an array of keynote addresses, panel discussions, and paper presentations focusing on various dimensions of transgender rights. Topics covered included legal frameworks, social challenges, healthcare access, identity recognition, and intersectional discrimination. The conference explored key themes such as: Inheritance Rights of Transgender Individuals, Intersectionality of Transgender Rights, Legal Equality and Economic Empowerment, Trans Joy and Resilience and Political Rights and Representation delivered by esteemed speakers, including Dr. Veena Roshan Jose (Assistant Professor, MNLU Nagpur), Mr. Syed Raza Hussain Zaidi (Naz International), Ms. Ellis Kokko (University of Edinburgh), Dr. Manwendra K. Tiwari (Associate Professor, DNLU Jabalpur), Dr. Ashit Kumar Srivastava (Assistant Professor, DNLU Jabalpur), Dr. Bharti Shukla (Assistant Professor, Hawabagh College), and Mr. Abdul Raheem (Armaan Foundation).
A book of abstracts/souvenir were unveiled by the esteemed guests during the conference. Selected papers presented at the conference will be published in an edited volume by Bloomsbury Publishing India Pvt. Ltd., further contributing to the academic discourse on transgender rights in India.
The conference also featured a sensitization session by the Armaan Foundation, where DNLU students and conference participants were trained on creating a more inclusive environment for all. During the valedictory session, Ms. Shivangi Joshi (Deputy Collector and Joint Director, Ministry of Social Justice and Disabled Welfare Department) shared practical insights into the realities faced by the transgender community and discussed the legal protections available and their implementation at the ground level.
The conference has been put together under the guidance of Prof. (Dr.) Manoj Kumar Sinha,Vice Chancellor, Prof. (Dr.) Shailesh N. Hadli, Registrar by combined efforts of the student members of Centre for Constitutional Law, Ms. Bhagyashree Agarwal, Teaching Associate and Dr. Ashit Srivastava, Assistant Professor and Director CCL.