with the aim of providing a platform to transgender persons for showcasing their talent in singing dancing and painting national institute of social defence nisd ministry of social justice and empowerment organised its first trans talent hunt on february 3 over 100 transmen and transwomen from across the country participated in the event nisd director r giriraj inaugurated the eventread alsotransgender artiste jeeva subramanian bags crucial role in bejoy nambiars bilingualthe film went on floors in july last year and is likely to be wrapped up by the end of marchhighlighting the importance of such governmentorganised community competitions giriraj said the transgender community continues to remain on the fringes of development and welfare programmes with little access to public goods and services transgender persons are one of the most marginalised sections of society and they face discrimination in all spheres be it social economic or political they have to face a lot of difficulties while accessing health care services education employment shelter and social economic and political rights the trans talent hunt is an initiative that will hopefully encourage a lot more members of the transgender community to come forward and showcase their talent soniya pandey who is the first transwoman engineer in the india railway said its heartening to see the government taking such steps to encourage transpersons we have long been marginalised and typecast people need to know that there are talented educated and wellestablished transgender persons as well we just wish we were accepted as human beings thats all echoing the sentiment transman jagrit bhati who is a lawyer by profession added this event is definitely a confidencebooster for all of us there is little awareness about transgender persons and people hardly know the difference between transmen and transwomen this show is a good start and will help in the long run in making the nation inclusive and sensitive towards transpersons mainstreaming of transgender persons has to be a collective effort