Child and Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi Maneka Gandhi on Monday, July 30 apologised on Twitter for calling transgenders ‘the other ones’ during the debate on the Trafficking of Persons (Prevention, Protection and Rehabilitation) Bill, 2018, in Lok Sabha.
The comment by the Minister on transgenders was seen as a joke in the Parliament and her apology comes 4 days after she made such comments
Speaking on the inclusion of information on the prevention of human trafficking in school textbooks, Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi recently landed into controversy by calling transgenders ‘The Other Ones’ earlier this week.
Her comment sparked controversy when Meera Sanghamitra, a trans-woman and human rights activist, took out a dig at the Minister on Twitter writing, “We are #NotOtherOnes or your pets. We are equally human, equal citizens. APOLOGIZE to the entire nation.”
Maneka Gandhi
✔@Manekagandhibjp
I sincerely apologise for using the term ‘other ones’ during the debate on the Trafficking of Persons (Prevention, Protection and Rehabilitation) Bill, 2018, in Lok Sabha. I did not ‘snigger’, I was embarrassed at my own lack of knowledge.
நாடிகா Nadika@NadjaNadikaWoman and Child Development Minister saying she wasn’t aware of official terminology.
Lovely.
Maneka Gandhi
✔@Manekagandhibjp
Replying to @ManekagandhibjpI was not aware of the official terminology for the transgender community. In future, all official communication will use the term TGs. I would like to assure that the #AntiTraffickingBill2018 is gender neutral and provides protection to the aggrieved.
Reacting to which, Maneka on Monday, July 30, apologised on Twitter saying, she was not aware of the official terminology for the transgender community. She affirmed, in future, all the official communication will be used for the term TGS.
The comment by the Minister on transgenders was seen as a joke in the Parliament and her apology comes 4 days after she was lambasted by the transgender community on Twitter.
In another Tweet, Gandhi wrote that she sincerely apologises for using the term ‘other ones’ during the debate on the Trafficking of Persons (Prevention, Protection and Rehabilitation) Bill, 2018, in Lower House.
On July 26, the Lower House had passed the landmark Trafficking of Persons (Prevention, Protection. The Bill aims to fight human trafficking at many levels.
That will be done by forming a centralised body to deal with issues of interstate and international trafficking of people including various matters of intelligence, investigation, capacity.
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In a separate incident, The Hindu reported that the National Network for Sex Workers (NNSW) hit out at Maneka Gandhi for ‘belittling’ them during the discussion on anti-human trafficking bill.
The NNSW stated that the Union Minister’s unpleasant remarks reinforced the stigma faced by sex workers.
The organisation referred to Gandhi’s remark on Thursday, when she said “I am going to be wicked….During the consultation on the Bill, we received comments from two groups – one representing the victims and the other representing sex workers. Dr Tharoor represents the second group.”
August 3, 2018 at 4:20 pm
The tendering of apology is a positive gesture