Introducing Shameebha Patil: The First Transgender Candidate Running for Raver Assembly
Introducing Shameebha Patil: The First Transgender Candidate Running for Raver Assembly
In the Raver constituency of Jalgaon district, a significant milestone has occurred as a transgender candidate has officially submitted her application to run in the Assembly elections representing the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA). This marks the first time in the state’s 64-year history that a well-educated transgender individual has nominated herself, drawing the attention of the entire state.
Shameebha Patil, the VBA candidate from Raver, has put forth her nomination. Residing in Bhusawal, Patil aims to tackle the challenges faced by banana laborers in the Raver area, advocate for tribal rights, and address the issue of unemployment. For her, the memories of the struggles she endured as a transgender person, including battling obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and grappling with her gender identity, are hard to forget. She underwent nine sessions of electroconvulsive therapy, a treatment for depression and related mental health issues, and this difficult journey has only bolstered her strength.
In Raver taluka, there are around 200,000 unorganized banana laborers. Patil has been actively pushing for the creation of a Banana Labour Development Corporation to protect the rights of these workers. She also insists that these unorganized banana laborers should be recognized as Mathadi workers. Furthermore, Patil has emphasized the importance of safeguarding tribal communities and preserving the biodiversity of the Satpura range.
Patil intends to create local job opportunities through the banana processing industry. Her continuous efforts will prioritize the rights of transgender individuals, tribal communities, and unorganized workers.
She has earned a Master’s degree in Marathi from Faizpur College and is currently working towards a PhD focused on the literature of poet Grace.
