Researcher fights for sexual re-orientation

KOLKATA: The struggle still continues. First it was to establish her changed existence since her conversion from Sushanto to Tista Das after a sex reorientation surgery a couple of years back. Now it is the fight against social ostracism.

Tista, now in Kolkata, is doing a research for University of Berkley on gender identity.

She has acted in Buddhadeb Dasgupta's films and also in Subrata Dutta's "The Third Gender" which was screened at the recent Bulgaria Film Festival.

Tista has filed an FIR at Khardah Police Station in North 24 Parganas on August 20 against one Raju Sarma, who allegedly molested her in public.

However, her quest for justice is proving fruitless as her alleged molester is moving around freely.

Tista's fault was that she protested against being publicly abused by Sharma on her changed sexual status. Tista's friend Kallol Mukherjee, who tried to rescue her, was also severely beaten up by Sharma.

"Sharma had been abusing me for some time. But one day after I protested, he pulled my hair and kicked me on my lower abdomen. The incident took place in front of hundreds of passersby, but none came to my rescue. The crowd seemed to enjoy the scene," Tista told DNA.

She also said that she tried to file a FIR at Khardah police station, immediately after being beaten up.

"However, the officer concerned refused to file the FIR and I was forced to file a general diary," Tista added.

Tista then contacted a senior officer in the rank of deputy inspector general of police, who has been sympathetic to her cause and finally under his instruction the FIR was filed. However, Sharma is yet to be traced, Tista said.

When contacted, an officer of the Khardah Police Station said attempts are on to trace Sharma, who is currently hiding. However, Tista, is determined to go the whole distance to get Sharma punished. "I will approach the State Women's Commission as well as the State Human Rights' Commission for justice," she said.