Rishi Banshiwal
- Nov 15, 2021
- 4 min read

Life Transformation Journey

We might have seen people who came across different life transformations it may be in the form of good or bad. There is a transformation that you could not even imagine in a person’s life which gave a breakthrough for their entire life. Let us go through a story of such a bold and confident personality who we met recently.

We are going to share the challenges and difficulties faced by Yashika in her life journey. She has faced discrimination at every stage of her life.

Our government has established Anti-discrimination law, but though people are discriminated against for different reasons without understanding the real pain of it. During our meet with her, we came to know how challenging her life is and the path she came across is very strenuous.

About Yashika

Yashika currently pursuing M.A. and is 25 years old, she was born in Allahabad as a 4th Child to her parents and she has 3 elder sisters.

Here are a few questions we asked Yashika during our meet.

What was the name change and how did the name change affect the process of changing the gender?

The name change was not the first step because the change was always felt since childhood. Since birth, I felt that I am different. I felt that my Biological gender and Psychological gender were opposite. It’s called Gender Dysphoria. After identifying my real self, I changed my name from Aashish to Yashika

From what incident or junction in your life, you figured out that you are more of a woman inside than you are the natural male body?

When I was born, a boy child out of 4 siblings, 3 elder sisters, yet I felt like doing makeup, dressing up as a woman inside the home, and felt very left out in my school and college life.

But there is no definite incident because it was natural since birth and the build-up was contained till the eruption.

What challenges did you face?

Societal Pressure: A lot of people questioned my family, my father to look at me, who is behaving like a woman. The society of the older generation (our father and forefather’s) has a hard time understanding and accepting the Umbrella concept of Transgender.

Parental Pressure: My mother is not there. My father and I have not talked for a long time since he denied supporting me. My sisters hardly helped me. I am financially struggling because I am totally halted from them.

They have clearly said that if I do not be myself and be a woman, I will be not allowed to come back and will have to survive on my own.

Peer Pressure: I never had friends. I used to stay alone and I was scared that what if the world knows my real identity me.

Please tell us about “The Concept Transgender”

For a layman, a transgender is a person who has the soul of another gender and the body of another. Imagine how that feels? The real frustration of not being themselves.

When did you come out to the world?

I decided to come out just after 2017, after the end of graduation. But I could actually come out in 2018, first after the Supreme Court’s judgment of de- criminalizing Article 377.

“Nature made a mistake, which I have corrected” Christine Jorgensen

How is the world treating you after you have transformed into a “transwoman”? Did you face any catcalling or staring?

Of course. All the time I have two such experiences to share with you

When I was working, my trainer had severe issues with me. I was discriminated against because I wore a little makeup to the work. He wanted me to look a certain way. If I have an outlook of a male, I should not behave like a woman and that creates a lot of issues.
When I went to University for my master’s exam, I was pointed at and said that “such people will also come to our university now”. It hurt me a lot that our generation is also not accepting despite having full awareness.

“We are in a place now where more and more trans people want to come forward and say, ‘This is who I am Laverne Cox

Were you ever abused?

YES. I was abused mentally, physically, and emotionally by a collegemate and was blackmailed vigorously. I was helped by Dhanunjay ma’am.

Remember this, whoever you are, however you are, you are equally valid, equally justified, and equally beautifulJuno Dawson

We have heard that you have filed a PIL. Please throw some light on that.

Due to being left alone and I left the house without any financial support. I was helped by Dhanunjay ma’am (1st transgender student of PU) and got my fees to let go off completely. But we also need a hostel to stay in and food to eat and I am having a hard time getting a place to stay as the city is very expensive.

So, I have filed a PIL in Punjab and Haryana High Court for Hostel and Food Subsidy. Also, I have filed a PIL for free SRS (Sexual Reassignment Survey) though I am helped by NGO for Hormone Therapy, and for surgery, I need free help from HC.

Be yourself, the world will adjust - Manabi Bandyopadhyay

We have to accept them and they are more privileged to perform all duties and it is sin if we do not accept or discriminate against them and which affects them mentally and psychologically.

Limitless Stree provided us with a great opportunity to lead our own campaign under the Stand Up For Stree campaign to act against Gender-Based Violence. We chose to work on the theme of Violence against Marginalized Communities.

We are so grateful to address different subcategories under this topic.

This campaign is led by Limitless Strees' Yashda Suthar, Dona Jancy, Harshita Baloji, Srushti Bogar, and Sangeetha Ramanathan

Limitless Stree is organising the Stand Up For Stree campaign from 10th November to 10th December. It will be used as a step by the volunteers, institutions and organizations to call for the prevention and elimination of violence against women and girls. If you want to join as a volunteer, register below.

About The Authors

Sangeetha and Yashda are Limitless Stree Volunteers who are committed to working for gender equality.

Yashda is a student of Punjab University. She specifically wants to work to stop the sexual exploitation of men and women.

Sangeetha is based in Chennai. She works in the Software Industry. Her concern is towards the recent issues that women are facing due to the COVID situation like child marriage, domestic violence etc.

Yashda and Sangeetha Limitless Stree Member