Her writings are more prosaic than the poems we are familiar with. But she compensates with sharpness. In about a dozen linesVijayaraja Mallika opens before us a plethora of images that neither a male nor a female mind can imagine. Her anthology of poems Daivathinte Makal is a topic of debate. Recuperating after a sex reassignment surgery (SRS), Mallika, transgender poet in Malayalam, opens up toAabha Raveendran in a telephonic conversation on the concerns of the transgender community in Kerala.
You have been advocating ‘Sahaj’ as an alternative term for transgender individuals in Malayalam. What is the significance of the term?
‘Sahaj’ means ‘natural’. It just denotes that we are born naturally. I find the Malayalam media’s usage ‘Bhinna lingam’ derogatory. Why not use the word transgender or better ‘Sahajar’? We need proper studies on who exactly can be considered transgender.
About ‘Sahaj International’?
The media had portrayed it as the first school for transgender, but it is not. It is an alternative learning centre for anyone from marginalised communities who have dropped out of school. We just help them to complete their education. As for education of transgender individuals, the government is already doing the job through the Literacy Mission while IGNOU too has a programme. I will be working on it once I am back in action.
You identify yourself as a poet rather than an activist, while at one time you had been fighting for the community. What brought in the change?
I realised that the more socially concerned you are, the more your personal life will suffer. Yes, I am being selfish. I did not have a bystander while undergoing the SRS. I realised that no one would take care of me but myself. Moreover, people know me as a poet rather than an activist. They may not recognise me on the street. But they are familiar with my name.
You have not officially changed your name.
I was Manu Krishnan when I was male. Name changing for a transgender is a tedious process in Kerala. The officials are so arrogant. They make fun of us when they come to know that we are trasnsgenders. Later, they insist that we undergo SRS before the name change. But SRS is not mandatory for name change as per the State’s transgender policy. Sadly, even policemen are unaware of it.
So awareness is what we need?
I would say the textbook committee should incorporate chapters on all gender roles on the school syllabus. If there is a question worth half a mark in the examination on transgenders, children will not fund us weird, only as something that got them that half mark. Also we need proper sex education in schools.
Why are transmen rather invisible in society compared to transwomen?
It is just that a woman who becomes a man does not want to be identified as transman, but rather as a man. It is because the patriarchal society gives them certain rights that they enjoy. Also for a man, with the support of society, it is easier to identify himself as a woman when the time comes. But for a woman to identify herself as a man is difficult.
You are vocal about the neutral gender in languages....
Most Indian languages have terms that belong to the neutral gender. But they have been largely neglected. Earlier, we had only male gender and the rest were non-male gender. Women fought for the feminine gender status. But we of the transgender community kept quiet at the time. It is time we remind society of these neutral gender terms. Continuous follow up and writings on the matter are also needed.
You are a postgraduate, a rank holder in English literature and yet you do not write in English. Have you ever tried?
I never learned Malayalam at school. In fact, I learnt it quite recently. And I have been writing in Malayalam, Tamil, and Hindi. Translations of my poems are being made into Kannada and English by others, but I never tried. I think it is time I tried writing in English as well.
Why the name Vijayaraja Mallika specifically?
Rajamallika is a flowering plant that waits for the spring. It is a symbol of eternal love. Like the flower, I too am a woman waiting for eternal love.
