Breaking social barriers: Madhya Pradesh family accepts transgender as daughter-in-law

Bhopal: Breaking a social norm does not come easy. Certainly not, for this family in Madhya Pradesh who have accepted their son’s choice to marry a transgender and are going to be the first family in the state to do so.

With blessings from both families, thirty-year-old Sanjana and Shadab Hasan’s (29) will get married this month right after Eid, according to the Hindustan Times.

Sanjana, who is a transgender, and Hasan have been in a relationship for nine years. Hasan had been engaged to a woman of his family’s choice previously and was scheduled to marry her on June 7, but the marriage was called off. Shadab’s family felt that a lot of lives would be ruined and went on to accept their son’s choice.

While Shadab runs a transport company, Sanjana is a counsellor with a community-based organisation (CBO) for the third gender people. Both their families are from Bhopal.

Speaking to Hindustan Times, “They called me home to tell me they had accepted me as their daughter-in-law. Our families have met and preparations for marriage are on,” said Sanjana.

Shadab added, “About 15 days after my parents accepted Sanjana, her brother, Amit (name changed) who had earlier thrashed her for her sexual preferences told her we could live according to our wishes.”

Shadab’s sister, Nazma, and brother-in-law, Saleem have promised to let Sanjana and Hasan raise their 3-year-old daughter, Shifa.

Ask Sanjana the reason behind their families accepting them and she thanks “almighty” in gratitude.

“We have always been rebuked by families, friends and relatives. As a teenager, I have lived and followed the traditions of eunuchs, danced in gatherings and even travelled to far off places to fend for myself. Going to college was a nightmare and I visited my family only after it was dark. It seemed life was heading nowhere. But now it is all over,” Sanjana added.