In a first for Mumbai, a transgender has been appointed as a panel member for Lok Adalat. Salma Khan, 40, a Vikhroli resident and founder of Kinnar Maa Samajik Sanstha, for the first time on Saturday sat as a panel member and resolved disputes of citizens at Bandra.
Khan has completed her Masters in Social Work and has been striving hard to fight for the rights of the transgender community. National Lok Adalat is held as per the directions of the National Legal Services Authority and panel members consist of retired judges, lawyers, social workers and NGO members. Khan will be the panel member at Mumbai District Suburban Legal Services Authority (MDLSA) office in Bandra.
"On my first day at MDLSA in Bandra, litigants gave me a weird look, but when I came forward to discuss their matters confidently, they understood that it is not the gender, but the knowledge which matters the most," says Khan.
"Our community has been discriminated against by the society, but these small steps give us hope for change, which will benefit our community members," said Khan.
Khan sat along with retired district judge and a lawyer in the panel and resolved 24 cases amicably on her first day, which she feels is yet another step for the progressive world, for the transgender community.
"Four panels have been nominated, having 12 members each, and we deal mostly with petty matters, involving bank loans, EMI defaulters and bank-related issues. In a day, we resolved 24 cases amicably and asked the defaulters to follow the order of Lok Adalat," said Khan.
Calling it a wonderful experience, Khan, said, "Every transgender must me educated and steps must be taken by the government to bridge the gap between our community and the society as a whole. Every gender should be respected and treated equally."
