The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has decided to mark all transgender toilets on its premises with a ‘[T]’, following a complaint to the National Human Rights Commission that the signage used earlier was offensive to transpersons.
The complaint was filed by Aqsa Sheikh, a transwoman working as an associate professor at Hamdard Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, who had highlighted that the Hindi term used for transgender persons on the toilet signage was improper and hurtful. The NHRC took cognisance of the complaint and asked the DMRC to file an action-taken report.
Final nod awaited
In June this year, the DMRC filed its report and informed the human rights body that it had removed all signages across 347 transgender toilets on its premises. It added that it had also removed the symbol of “half male, half female” from the signages after complaints about it. The DMRC said the new signage — “[T]” — was being adopted as suggested by the stakeholders concerned and would be put up once it gets approval from the competent authority.
The DMRC said the “offensive term” was adopted in the signages initially based on its usage in a Gazette Notification issued by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. However, it was later pointed out that the Hindi term used literally translated to people with both male and female reproductive organs and was considered offensive to transpersons.
Moreover, the DMRC informed the NHRC that it had appointed a complaints officer, Vibha Kumari, to deal with violations of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act. Ms. Kumari will be available in the OCC Building office near the Shastri Park metro station.
Following this June 7 status update from the DMRC, the NHRC said it was disposing of Dr. Sheikh’s complaint as the metro authorities had addressed her concerns.
