Padma Shri awardee B Manjamma Jogathi opens up about her inspiring life journey, ‘from the pavement to President’s court’

What inspired you to write the book, and what is the main idea behind it?

This is my tale of surviving all odds as a transgender person and making the journey from the lap of death to winning the Padma Shri award, the fourth-highest civilian award in the country. This is my effort to give a glimpse into the world of transgenders and all that we go through, and also how we can write a different story by pursuing some art or vocation. It is also an appeal for inclusive acceptance that can transform society. Also, this is a tale of hope and survival. I committed suicide twice but having survived both attempts, I realised the immensity of being alive, of pursuing something one is passionate about. I decided to craft my own destiny and here I am today, as the first transgender folk artist who become the president of a government academy and was honoured by the President of India for my contribution to an Indian folk form.

My art and its pursuit gave a new meaning to my life and I want this to inspire all youth who are on the verge of giving up to give life a chance and be the makers of their own grand future. I have and so can you.

Tell us about your journey — from being born as Manjunath to becoming Manjamma. 

I have poured my heart out in this book where I share all that I went through. The desire to be a woman was so deep that I wrestled with the physical form of a man that I was born with. Manjunath was a name that stayed with me for the first 18 years of my life, while Manjamma has been the identity that transformed my life. But the turmoil that I went through during this transition — like I have said in the book too — ‘is beyond description and I wish it upon none else’. But then life has come full circle and this transition, which once brought me rejection, rebuke, and refusals has today brought me rewards, recognition, and even an award from the Rashtrapati himself.

My only expectation is that the book reaches every human who can read and be inspired, the Padma Shri winner said. (Photo: HarperCollins India)

But, in the book, you mention another journey — from the pavement to President’s court. In what ways has the Padma Shri changed things for you in the last two years?

The Padma Shri changed not just my life, but in my opinion, ‘the lens through which the world now looks at me and the likes of us – transgenders’. It also helped me take my journey to people across the world. Language, region, nothing was a barrier since the national recognition made me everyone’s amma. It brought me countless admirers and I have spent months together being ‘honoured’ across various forums where I could share my journey and initiate a dialogue to address our concerns as well as motivate those who could take inspiration from my tale. If I could make it from the pavement to the President’s court, there’s no reason for anyone to give up.

At the ceremony, you blessed the President with a gesture that soon went viral. Can you tell us about it, and what it signifies?

The gesture of ‘drishti’ or warding off the evil eye, what we call it, was just an impromptu response when I saw the President stand there and conduct the ceremony tirelessly, an act of motherly care. And it went viral because people connected to this small but heartfelt gesture of wishing well, a tradition our community has almost been conventionally seen as being entrusted with special powers. It’s something very reflective of our cultural heritage and hence won people’s hearts, I guess.

Tell us about your initiation into becoming a Jogathi, and how dance has played an extremely important role in your life. 

Jogathi Nrithya has been the catalyst and the most powerful tool that transformed my life. While it has traditionally been a means to earn a living, I could take it to different stages and, along with my Guru, earn it a place of respect as a folk art. It, in return, gave us a place of pride as folk artists and recognition.

Writing a memoir is not an easy feat. One needs to lay their hearts bare for the world to read. What was the most challenging thing about penning your personal life?

When one has overcome all of it and survived to tell the tale, telling it, although intense, is not as painful. On the contrary, it feels empowering to at times go down memory lane and be able to share and tell the world that through this life which has been ‘a paradigm of paradoxes’. I have been able to battle it all out and stand stronger today. Tears have flowed down both our eyes as we penned this tale, countless times. But the book is all worth it, for it will serve a noble purpose.

B. Manjamma Jogathi with President Ram Nath Kovind at the Padma Awards ceremony (File photo)

You mention that more than your transformation, acceptance has been the most difficult bit, which continues even today. What have been the biggest challenges, and in what ways do you feel the society has let you, and many others from the community down?

The biggest challenge, then and now, is and has always been acceptance. Inclusive acceptance is what we seek. Although there have been moments of complete let down like the time I was raped, or when I had to leave home, I see challenges as an opportunity to bring about change. And change has begun. Society is getting sensitised. I was also recently the ambassador for the election commission in Karnataka. These were unfathomable until recently.

Your memoir will release during Pride Month. How significant are events and occasions like Pride Month in actually creating awareness about the LGBTQ+ community and their trials and tribulations?

Awareness is key and we do need activism to keep nudging society to be more and more inclusive. I am glad that the book is released this month because my journey will offer a unique perspective on engineering change and bringing about transformation as far as our community is concerned.

You say that “Love evades the likes of us”, yet aim to bless all your daughters who wish to get married. Do you not fear a similar fate for them? How do you think a difference can be made?

Like I have said in the book, if any of my daughters seek to marry, they will surely have my blessings. But this is not to ‘break norms but to facilitate inclusive living’. Culture evolves and so does society and I am sure we will see better days in the future.

My only expectation is that the book reaches every human who can read and be inspired. For beyond gender, this is also a tale of potential, perseverance, and possibility. It is a tale of the immensity of the human ability to go beyond limitations and all that life throws at you and to carve a unique path for oneself. Manjamma’s tale is an offering of strength especially in the times we live in, where mental health and such issues are costing us very young lives. “If I could, you too should” is our nudge through this effort.

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