Much beyond the flip their long eyelashes and their long tasselled hair, they represent in distant Manipur a social change that fringe dwelling minorities of India’s far more cosmopolitan metros could only dream of having social acceptance of the new, Indian transexual.

This is a story about a transwoman who identifies as a postoperative transwoman after undergoing sex reassignment surgery in Puducherry of India. Manipur’s Dr.Beoncy Laishram a warrior of COVID 19.

The only Indian and first 23-year-old transexual Doctor of the entire northeast who works as a resident medical officer at a private hospital in Imphal, Manipur and is a symbol of hope for the state’s highly visible yet marginalised Nupi Sabis,(transwoman) community. Being born as a boy, these Nupi Sabis, never identify themselves to be a male.

After finishing MBBS from Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) Imphal, she decided to come out for jobs and it was late last year she joined as a medical officer here at Shija Hospital in Manipur.

She is accepted the way, she wants to be, long hair, lipstick and mascara, with a name beyond the demeaning, derogatory word ‘Hijra’; they are the Nupi Shabis of their state…men who would rather be women.

After finishing her MBBS, she informed that she worked for one year at Shillong, NEIGRIHMS Hospital and joined later Shija Hospital Imphal. She is the last amongst three siblings.

At first, she said her father, who was serving as a driver in Manipur government PHE department, was so much angry seeing the nature of her becoming transwoman but now they are so happy that.. we the community of transwoman can do like others real women can do.

Expressing her desire of entering couple life in future she said, “We fall in love, but we fall in love with men. Some like us, some don’t. If I marry, I will marry to a person who can understand me…and if I am not that lucky to be a housewife, I will sacrifice my whole life to serve our society by my savings,” she added.

Her only first priority is to finish her postgraduation and will decide the future course of action she said.

She looks like women, “No one can believe I am a transwoman until they hear my voice said Beoncy,” she says.

During her life struggles, she says she faced many obstacles such as discrimination for changing gender.

Saying that she also participated in high profile beauty pageants Miss Trans Queen North East etc.

Manipur Nupi Shabis also have their pride of place in the traditional theatre where they are known to play female roles to levels of perfection.

{Brown Nongmaithem is a veteran journalist based in Imphal, Manipur}