Swati Bidhan Baruah is a prominent lawyer and trans rights activist who was born on April 29, 1991. After her landmark case in the Bombay High Court on Sex Reassignment Surgery in 2012, the daughter of S. R. Baruah and S. Baruah became a well-known figure in the field of Trans Rights and she actively represents the LGBTQ community.
LGBT individuals have earned increasing tolerance and acceptance in India during the last decade, particularly in metropolitan cities.
Despite this, the majority of LGBT persons in India remain hidden, fearing discrimination from their relatives, who may regard homosexuality as a sin. Discrimination still exists in rural areas, where LGBT persons are sometimes rejected by their families and forced to marry people of the opposite gender.
We at Glad Delhi support such inspiring people around us and we don’t believe in social discrimination, so we feel privileged to write about such influencing people in this blog we will unravel one such story of Swati Bidhan Baruah first Transgender judge of Assam.
Early Life & Education
Baruah is the younger daughter of Mr. S. R. Baruah, who works for Northeast Frontier Railway as a serviceman, while her mother is a housewife. Baruah describes herself as a proud defender of middle-class ideals. Baruah goes on to say that she grew up in a household rich in culture, professionals, and service persons, as well as a family with a distinguished educational background. Baruah is forced to endure. Being Trans has brought Baruah a lot of persecution and societal humiliation, but it hasn’t stopped her from smashing the glass ceiling and achieving success in her life.
Baruah attended Sri Satya Sai Vidyalaya, now Swarna English Academy, for her elementary education, and Daffodil English Medium High School, Guwahati, for her matriculation. Baruah was a brilliant student who excelled in all areas of her area of study.
Baruah attended Bidyamandir Higher Secondary School for her Higher Secondary in Commerce Stream and West Guwahati Commerce College for her Bachelor in Commerce (Hons). Baruah received a First Class LL.B (Hons) from Gauhati University’s University Law College.
Professional life
After graduating from law school, Baruah became an advocate and began practicing in the Gauhati High Court and other courts. She did not, however, cease speaking up for her Trans community, and as a result, she has filed numerous PILs with the Gauhati High Court and the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India.
She is the first transgender member judge and conciliator in Assam’s National Lok Adalat. After that, she was appointed as the first Legal Counsel for the Airports Authority of the India-Northeast Region.
Some of her well-known work
- The first transgender person in Assam to work for the appropriate implementation of the NALSA Judgment.
- Assam’s first transgender person worked to have 25,000 transgender people added to the National Registrar of Citizenship or NRC.
- Assam’s first trans person to assist the state government in developing the state’s most progressive transgender policy.
4. Assam’s First Trans to improve the standard of Assam’s Trans Community and include Assam’s Trans Community in the Skill Development Program.
5.In the state of Assam, she was the first to construct “Tritiyo Niwas,” a distinct shelter facility for homeless transgender people.
Awards & Achievements
Baruah has won numerous honors for her outstanding contributions to the field of transgender rights both nationally and internationally.
Baruah has also given numerous lectures in colleges, universities, and government and non-government organizations. Here are a few of them:
Bangalore center for law and policy research.
Jamia Hamdard University, New Delhi.
West Bengal University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata.
D.K college, Mirza – Assam.
Airports Authority of India.
N.E.F Law college Guwahati Assam
Awards
India’s first transgender judge to be accepted into the International Association of LGBTQ+ Judges in Philadelphia, America.
Babu Jagjivan Ram Kala Sanskriti & Sahitya Academy, New Delhi, awarded her the Dr. B.R. Ambedkar National Samman Padak’ 2020.
The excellency Governor Shri Jagdish Mukhi and acclaimed veteran actress Smt. Sharmila Tagore presented her with the “Prag Prerona Award” 2020.
The first trans person to be appointed as a Conciliator and Member Judge of the National Lok Adalat, which is part of the District and Sessions Court in Guwahati’s Kamrup (Metro) district.
India’s first trans woman to be appointed to the Airports Authority of India’s Legal Panel Counsel.
Appointed to the Assam Govt. Transgender Advisory Committee. State Transgender Welfare Board, Social Welfare Department, Govt. of Assam, appointed her as Associated Vice-Chairperson.
Social Media Handle
Being L, G, B, or T is neither a ‘problem’ nor a ‘choice.’ LGBT people are simply people who have sexual preferences that differ from what appears to be the “standard” due to different taught behaviors and, well, having a different perspective and thinking than everyone else.
Everyone has their own set of challenges it’s up to you how to break that ” Grass ceiling “.With this blog,you must now learn to overcome life challenges we have people like Swati Bidhan Baruah who inspire us with their stories being a change in society we salute the spirit of all such people.
Author- Richa Tiwari
