Pinki Pramanik stands a burning testimony to the collective brutality of the state-society-media complex. Each one of us is implicated in the brutalities inflicted on her. Starting with her arrest on charges of rape, her repeated humiliation in the hands of the medical establishment (euphemistically titled gender verification) without following due procedure, a leaked MMS of her naked body that went viral and which was telecast on a private channel (Aakash Bangla), headlines screaming “She’s a he!”, the state government that remained not only silent through all of this but also tried to lump charges of land grab on her to our prurient curiosity about her body. But no, this is no sob story. In conversation with Pinki Pramanik. By Sayan Bhattacharya.
This interview was supposed to happen at different points in time. First in August 2012 after Pinki had received bail and Kindle had organized a discussion titled “How Public is our Private?” featuring lawyers, sportspersons and journalists. Then in July 2013, when she had already taken up the pen to reclaim her life and tell her side of the story. But each time, I was left wondering what I should ask her. Such a lot had already been spoken about her. Sensational, inhuman, crude reports, sometimes nuanced editorials, panel discussions, both rigorous and salacious… I was not sure whether I wanted her to revisit those harrowing days for a good copy but after I watched an untitled film (by Debalina) about her, I changed my mind. Here Pinki speaks with delicious candour about her intersexed body. There is a lot of self deprecating humour which ultimately strikes at the complacency of our ideas of selfhood and our gendered identity.
So an interview is fixed after a couple of interactions with her. She asks me to meet her at the Sealdah Station where she works as a Train Ticket Examiner at 8:30pm, one evening. She would come straight from a mini marathon which she was supposed to inaugurate. She soon arrives and takes me to the parking lot. We will go to my place, which is at a stone’s throw for the chat. Her Yamaha R15 stands in all its glory in the evening light. As I stand gazing at it, Pinki chuckles and asks me to sit comfortably. I do not know how to ride a bike and have taken a bike ride only twice in my life before but of course these are thoughts best kept to myself.
There were mike announcements, ‘Our didi… Pinki Pramanik.’ Yet, I heard a boy asking, ‘Is Pinki a man or a woman?’ I am sure there were other people too saying the same thing. There was this man saying, ‘Oh! She is the one we saw on TV.’ When I went to give the speech, I said that you do good deeds, people will not remember you, they will not call you. Look at me. Nobody spoke about me 4 years back and today when there’s a case against me, I am invited everywhere.
However, not quite. She senses my unease, “Am I riding too fast?” Stoically I mumble, “No!” In 10 minutes, we are at my place. But, now I am faced with a new problem! I realize that I do not have a set of questions. Where does one begin! So we start with her mini marathon experience. “There were around 400 people to receive me, 15 bikes were trailing the open jeep in which I stood waving my hands. Flowers were showered on me. There were thousands of people standing on either side of the road.” Pinki is smiling as she says this but before I can ask her about perceptions changing, she continues, “There were mike announcements, ‘Our didi… Pinki Pramanik.’ Yet, I heard a boy asking, ‘Is Pinki a man or a woman?’ I am sure there were other people too saying the same thing. There was this man saying, ‘Oh! She is the one we saw on TV.’ When I went to give the speech, I said that you do good deeds, people will not remember you, they will not call you. Look at me. Nobody spoke about me 4 years back and today when there’s a case against me, I am invited everywhere. I find myself being captured by 1000s of mobile cameras. This way, will anyone ever want to do anything good?” She adds, “But if my presence and my words can motivate people to donate blood or train harder, I am there with you.”As an Asian Games gold medalist, Pinki used to be invited to sporting events even before her arrest but now besides sporting events, she is also invited to inaugurate pujas and blood donation camps. Yes, perceptions about her are certainly changing, people reach out to her, show their affection and respect, and talk to her about the article she wrote about herself but for many, it’s still about a free ‘freak show’.
We continue with Pinki’s social responsibilities. She had participated in a rally protesting the rape in Kamduni. “When I was lodged in jail, very few people came forward to support me. I attended the anti-rape rally for precisely this reason. If people come on the streets and mobilize support, some impact can be created, impact that can have a positive outcome.”At the rally I had seen her being hounded by the electronic media and bystanders. So how was it interacting with so many people? The answer is unexpected but prescient. “It was a good experience but of course I saw all kinds of people, some of whom so opportunistic. They were there not out of great support for a cause but to show their faces on camera, to network, some to get brownie points with political parties which were not overtly present but were there in the rally.” As my thoughts drift towards facebook feminists who rage on with status updates and in minutes upload photographs of New Year parties, Pinki continues, “Some people did come out in support after my medical examination but is it enough to protest when an incident occurs and not sustain it later? This is what bothers me, saddens me. If you stop at protesting only for a couple of days, what’s the guarantee that the same incident will not occur again?” However, it’s not all cynicism. Pinki remembers walking in the Pride March for the first time in 2013. “There was this transgender girl whose mother hugged and kissed her on the podium in front of a huge audience. She could be such a lesson for those parents who do not accept their children the way they are, also a lesson for those who speak ill about such people. It brought tears to my eyes.”
Some people did come out in support after my medical examination but is it enough to protest when an incident occurs and not sustain it later? This is what bothers me, saddens me. If you stop at protesting only for a couple of days, what’s the guarantee that the same incident will not occur again?
Pinki fondly remembers some inmates in jail. “When I was lodged in the men’s section, there was a huge public outcry, because of which the male inmates were removed from my building. But there was one old man in my section. I requested the in-charge not to shift him. So this man and his son-in-law were allowed to live in my building. We developed a rapport. They gave me Mortein coil each night. The son-in-law and I used to work out together, that is lift stones, read the newspaper. We bonded over my bike stories, we shared our food. The in charge guy who was himself a life prisoner and I used to listen to the radio together. He would lock us all at the end of the day and then get into his own cell and the constables would lock him in.” We start laughing. Pinki continues, “One day when I sat to lunch, I found myself having 15 dishes, something I could never imagine at home. The different sections had cooked and inmates from each section had brought me something. I did receive a lot of warmth from them. At jail, what I felt was that there were many lodged who were innocent but their bails remained stuck for years for lack of a few thousand rupees. There was this Bihari migrant who could get bail for 2000 rupees but his family could organize only half the amount. I chipped in with the other half. I had helped some people there. When I see people crying or becoming depressed, I feel for them, cannot hold myself back from reaching out.” The sheer violence and absurdity of the fact that she had to remain cooped up in a dark dank room with a basic toilet partitioned by sheets for 26 days could not hit louder when I find Pinki choosing to talk only about the bond she built with some fellow inmates. Surely, this lightness could not have been easily achieved and I sense its fragility soon.
I ask her was she oblivious to the media stories about her while she was in jail. Pinki says no. “The jailer would cut out the portions about me and send me the paper, lest I do something rash after reading news stories about me. This is a standard procedure in jail. But there were people who would collect those cuttings and bring them to me. Also the old man and his son in law would go to the other section, read about me and then they would tell me what was published and that’s how I realized what the media was doing with my life, starting with telecasting my mms. The media is not supposed to show the face of a rape survivor. With that leaked mms, what happened with me was a kind of rape but this was in full public glare. I felt like committing suicide but like many other challenges in life, took up the challenge of living.” Pinki’s voice breaks. I am at a loss of words. I find my lofty hopes of not making Pinki go back to those bitter memories for my magazine lie shattered. We are silent for some time. How does one continue such a conversation? Pinki adds, “The media can educate and entertain and it can also make a monster out of you.”
I think we have had enough of that episode. I ask her to talk about what she does best, athletics. “Let me tell you a funny story. This was 2002 and I participated in the inter-rails. Back then, you could participate in as many events as you wished. So I took part in the 100,200,400,800,1500m races plus the 400m hurdle and 2 relay races. My coach Gita Zutshi got angry because she felt that I would tire out and this would affect my performance but my target was to win the best athlete (the one with the maximum medals) trophy. But next year the rule was changed and one athlete could participate in a maximum of 6 events but I still won the trophy next year. In 2005, the limit was set at 3 events. And then 2 events, which is there till date! All this because I was winning all the medals and they wanted fair distribution!” Pinki’s eyes shine and she looks animated. “I want to restart my career. I think I am still capable of giving a lot to athletics. I have also bought a piece of land with some help from the Netaji Subhash Azad Hind Foundation where I want to set up a training centre for children. I had gone to the state government for assistance but they told me they did not have any land! So I bought the land myself. I do not know how will I set it up but perhaps I have to do it on my own.” There is a lot of resolve in her voice.
Once I performed very well in a heat and was so tired that I slept off in the stadium and the next morning I found my spikes had been stolen. I ran the 200m race bare feet and broke the state record. Later somebody gifted me spikes. I broke other records too and that’s the only way I could move forward. Then somebody planted some stolen cassettes in my bag to frame me. Those were my struggling days, I was no big sportsperson, coming from a privileged background whose mistakes could be overlooked. I was from Purulia… I could be easily dismissed as uncouth
If you think that Pinki had a smooth ride on track which was haulted by her arrest in 2012, you could not be further from the truth. Talent, perseverance, luck… yes, the 100 crore sports flicks and self help gurus invoke them as success mantras. True but that’s not enough because your gender and class positions complicate your sporting experiences in ways, unfathomable (more on this, in the next interview). Pink remembers, “Once I performed very well in a heat and was so tired that I slept off in the stadium and the next morning I found my spikes had been stolen. I ran the 200m race bare feet and broke the state record. Later somebody gifted me spikes. I broke other records too and that’s the only way I could move forward. Then somebody planted some stolen cassettes in my bag to frame me. Those were my struggling days, I was no big sportsperson, coming from a privileged background whose mistakes could be overlooked. I was from Purulia… I could be easily dismissed as uncouth! ” Yet, discrimination is not just on the sporting track but also in the most intimate of spaces, namely home. “When you see that your parents are behaving one way with you and another way with your siblings because you have a different body, it feels uncanny. In my village, fairs during Kali Pujo and Poush Sankranti were annual features that we eagerly looked forward to. Children would be given new dresses then. One year, everybody was given new dresses except me. I was given a school uniform. People’s attitudes, words about my ‘masculinity’ made me acutely aware how ‘different’ I was. Does a child understand she is ‘different’ unless she is told?”
It is 10:30 in the night. A winter night. Pinki has to go home. We end the chat. She quickly grabs her helmet and flies down the stairs. The street’s silence is occasionally pincered by the lazy barks of a few stray dogs. Pinki sits on her bike, smiles at me when I thank her for taking time out and vanishes into air, like a thunderbird. Her words still resonating , “You know Pinki, the athlete, Pinki, the intersex person. If I want to play, why can’t I? Tell me something, does a baby know whether she is a boy or a girl unless she is told or made aware? But isn’t she human first? Why cannot I be thought of as a human being first?”
Post the Supreme Court verdict on Section 377, slogans like “Love is not a crime” and “My body, my Sexuality” have rent the air. To think that the battle gets over if the review petition is accepted and homosexuality is decriminalised will be a monumental loss of an opportunity. 377 is not just about winning acceptance. The issue is more fundamental. Do we have the tenacity to keep questioning the patriarchal constructs of gender models and gender roles and the violence they inflict on bodies that do not fit in? Can we keep questioning the basis on which this fitting in project plays out? The battle is on and far from over…
kenzo keith
Pinki I love your story am also a victim, but the challenge is my country we still struggle with it
Snatch Casino Cashback erhalten
Geben Sie Ihre E-Mail-Adresse ein, wählen Sie ein Passwort und wählen Sie Österreich als Ihr Wohnsitzland – so einfach ist das.
Aber das ist noch nicht alles – jede Woche erhalten Sie einen 10%
Cashback-Bonus, der automatisch Ihrem Konto gutgeschrieben wird.
Erhalten Sie einen 100% Bonus bis zu 100 € sowie 150 Freispiele für den beliebten Slot Wolf Gold, wenn Sie nur 20 € oder
mehr einzahlen und den Code “WOO” verwenden. Machen Sie sich bereit, Ihr
Spielerkapital mit dem fantastischen Willkommensbonus von Woo
Casino zu steigern! Woo Casino ist ein außergewöhnliches Online-Spielziel, das ein unvergleichliches Erlebnis für
anspruchsvolle Spieler bietet. Der Gründer von Woo Casino stellte sich eine Gaming-Plattform vor,
die sich an die Elite richtet und ein unvergleichliches Erlebnis bietet, das Luxus mit
Innovation verbindet.
Damit Sie den Einzahlungsbonus jedoch bekommen,
müssen Sie dafür einen Bonus Code eingeben.
Das bedeutet, dass Sie sich hier 200 Freispiele und 200 Euro Echtgeld holen können. Neukunden können sich
hier auf einen Bonus von bis zu 200 Euro und 200 Freispiele freuen. Fühlen Sie sich wie ein Pionier, wenn es darum geht,
Informationen über faszinierende Casino Bonus zu erhalten!
References:
https://online-spielhallen.de/malina-casino-login-ihr-tor-zu-einer-welt-voller-unterhaltung/
wazamba premium pokies
“Woo Casino provides players with an excellent range of modern, efficient payment methods. That means you’re never more than a few days away from cashing out on your real money winnings. Use popular services such as Visa, MasterCard, Skrill, and Neteller to securely deposit and withdraw funds. In 2025, you can even play with Bitcoin. Deposits are instantaneous, and withdrawals are typically processed between one and three days. The most you’ll wait is five days for a payout. With e-wallets, though, you can cash out in as little as one hour!” Others
point to the fast payouts and reliable customer support, saying the casino
feels straightforward and trustworthy compared to competitors.
This ensures regular audits, fair RNG-certified games, and compliance with global standards for responsible gambling.
The same tech Aussie banks use now secures your
logins, deposits, and gameplay.
Woo Casino – an online gambling website that has been operating in Australia since 2020.
Woo Casino is a modern online platform for those looking for safe, diverse and profitable entertainment.
The minimum deposit is $10 – 20 AUD, and withdrawals are made within 1-3 days (depending on the method).
This is one of the most famous companies in the field of
online gambling, known for its strict control
standards. The second deposit also activates a
100% bonus and an additional 50 spins.
Enjoy traditional casino favorites including blackjack,
roulette, baccarat, and poker with multiple variants and betting limits.
We only ask for essential details to create and protect your account.
Follow these simple steps to begin experiencing our premium gaming offerings.
References:
https://blackcoin.co/lapilanders-casino/
PlayAmo review Australia
When it comes to funding your balance, Lucky Green Casino offers a generous
set of five deposit bonuses. Lucky Green Casino is designed to give Australian players a simple and enjoyable gaming
experience. Your trusted online casino destination with over 2000+ games and secure banking.
If you suspect someone is underage, immediately contact
support to suspend the account. Lucky Green is built around a responsive web platform so you can play on iOS and Android without installing an app.
Lucky Green hosts a wide game library featuring more than 500 pokies from well-known developers.
Treat welcome offers as additional playtime — not guaranteed profit.
Lucky Green’s welcome pathway is structured across multiple deposits
designed to give sustained playtime.
References:
https://blackcoin.co/casinova-casino-review/
www.shandurtravels.com
paypal casino uk
References:
http://www.shandurtravels.com
fdertolmrtokev
I truly appreciate this post. I?¦ve been looking all over for this! Thank goodness I found it on Bing. You’ve made my day! Thx again
jackwin77
I’m just writing to make you know what a perfect encounter our girl gained going through yuor web blog. She learned many pieces, which included what it’s like to have an incredible teaching style to let the mediocre ones without difficulty know just exactly selected grueling subject areas. You truly exceeded our desires. Thank you for distributing those great, safe, educational and also fun thoughts on this topic to Janet.
residential properties around nairobi
Hey There. I found your blog using msn. This is a really well written article. I’ll make sure to bookmark it and come back to read more of your useful info. Thanks for the post. I will definitely return.
gelatin trick recipe
I consider something genuinely interesting about your blog so I saved to favorites.
mantap555 slot
I’m not sure exactly why but this blog is loading incredibly slow for me. Is anyone else having this issue or is it a issue on my end? I’ll check back later and see if the problem still exists.
academic transcript translation UK
I like this post, enjoyed this one thanks for putting up.
slot resmi
Admiring the commitment you put into your blog and detailed information you offer. It’s good to come across a blog every once in a while that isn’t the same unwanted rehashed information. Great read! I’ve bookmarked your site and I’m including your RSS feeds to my Google account.
link slot
After all, what a great site and informative posts, I will upload inbound link – bookmark this web site? Regards, Reader.
จัดงานแต่งงาน งบ 500000
I don’t ordinarily comment but I gotta state thankyou for the post on this amazing one :D.
pink gelatin trick
obviously like your website but you need to check the spelling on several of your posts. Many of them are rife with spelling problems and I find it very bothersome to tell the truth nevertheless I will surely come back again.
pcxwin
I also think thus, perfectly pent post! .
iblbet
Well I definitely liked studying it. This subject procured by you is very constructive for good planning.
bariatric gelatin trick
I wanted to thank you for this great read!! I definitely enjoying every little bit of it I have you bookmarked to check out new stuff you post…
iblbet daftar
It is in reality a great and useful piece of information. I’m happy that you simply shared this helpful information with us. Please keep us up to date like this. Thank you for sharing.
gelatin trick
You have brought up a very good details, regards for the post.
gelatin trick
hey there and thank you for your information – I have definitely picked up something new from right here. I did however expertise several technical points using this website, since I experienced to reload the web site many times previous to I could get it to load correctly. I had been wondering if your hosting is OK? Not that I am complaining, but slow loading instances times will very frequently affect your placement in google and could damage your high-quality score if advertising and marketing with Adwords. Well I am adding this RSS to my email and can look out for much more of your respective intriguing content. Ensure that you update this again very soon..
link gacor
Almost all of whatever you state happens to be astonishingly legitimate and it makes me wonder why I had not looked at this in this light previously. This particular piece truly did turn the light on for me personally as far as this subject goes. But there is one position I am not really too comfortable with and while I attempt to reconcile that with the central idea of your position, let me see what all the rest of your subscribers have to point out.Nicely done.
slot gacor
You made some nice points there. I did a search on the subject matter and found most individuals will approve with your blog.
toto togel
Wow, superb blog layout! How long have you been blogging for? you make blogging look easy. The overall look of your web site is magnificent, let alone the content!
ayuda TFG arquitectura
Rattling good info can be found on web blog.
gartenpool
That is the fitting blog for anybody who desires to search out out about this topic. You understand so much its almost exhausting to argue with you (not that I really would need…HaHa). You positively put a new spin on a topic thats been written about for years. Nice stuff, simply great!
ayuda TFM arquitectura
I believe you have mentioned some very interesting details , regards for the post.
bandar slot
I don’t even know how I ended up here, but I thought this post was good. I don’t know who you are but definitely you are going to a famous blogger if you aren’t already ;) Cheers!
boostaro
Howdy! This is kind of off topic but I need some help from an established blog. Is it very hard to set up your own blog? I’m not very techincal but I can figure things out pretty fast. I’m thinking about making my own but I’m not sure where to begin. Do you have any tips or suggestions? With thanks
oma slot
Hey very cool blog!! Man .. Beautiful .. Amazing .. I will bookmark your blog and take the feeds also…I’m happy to find so many useful information here in the post, we need work out more strategies in this regard, thanks for sharing. . . . . .
gelatin trick
Absolutely written content, appreciate it for entropy. “Necessity is the mother of taking chances.” by Mark Twain.
gelatin trick
Hi there! This post couldn’t be written any better! Reading through this post reminds me of my previous room mate! He always kept talking about this. I will forward this article to him. Pretty sure he will have a good read. Thank you for sharing!
best delta 8 tincture
Yeah bookmaking this wasn’t a speculative conclusion outstanding post! .
the brain song
We absolutely love your blog and find many of your post’s to be precisely what I’m looking for. Do you offer guest writers to write content available for you? I wouldn’t mind writing a post or elaborating on most of the subjects you write concerning here. Again, awesome blog!
Delta 8 THC Tinctures
I found your blog website on google and verify a number of of your early posts. Proceed to maintain up the superb operate. I just further up your RSS feed to my MSN News Reader. Searching for ahead to reading extra from you later on!…
diamond painting bär
I went over this website and I believe you have a lot of excellent info, saved to fav (:.
topup game
Very interesting information!Perfect just what I was searching for!
anti rayap bandung
I am constantly browsing online for articles that can assist me. Thx!
streamate tv
Some genuinely wondrous work on behalf of the owner of this site, perfectly great subject material.
streamate web cam
Appreciating the persistence you put into your site and in depth information you present. It’s great to come across a blog every once in a while that isn’t the same unwanted rehashed information. Fantastic read! I’ve saved your site and I’m including your RSS feeds to my Google account.
gelatin trick for weight loss
Hi! This is kind of off topic but I need some help from an established blog. Is it very hard to set up your own blog? I’m not very techincal but I can figure things out pretty quick. I’m thinking about creating my own but I’m not sure where to start. Do you have any points or suggestions? With thanks
gelatin trick
Hello my friend! I want to say that this article is awesome, nice written and include approximately all vital infos. I would like to see more posts like this.
WhatsApp data recovery
You have brought up a very great details , appreciate it for the post.
dubai wealth secret
It’s hard to seek out knowledgeable folks on this topic, however you sound like you understand what you’re speaking about! Thanks
audifort
I’m so happy to read this. This is the type of manual that needs to be given and not the random misinformation that’s at the other blogs. Appreciate your sharing this best doc.
pink salt trick
I like what you guys are up too. Such smart work and reporting! Keep up the superb works guys I have incorporated you guys to my blogroll. I think it’ll improve the value of my website :)
prodentim
There are some attention-grabbing time limits in this article but I don’t know if I see all of them middle to heart. There’s some validity but I will take hold opinion until I look into it further. Good article , thanks and we wish more! Added to FeedBurner as properly
jamb cbt practice
The very core of your writing whilst sounding reasonable in the beginning, did not really sit very well with me personally after some time. Someplace throughout the paragraphs you managed to make me a believer but just for a short while. I nevertheless have a problem with your jumps in logic and you might do well to fill in all those gaps. In the event you actually can accomplish that, I will undoubtedly be fascinated.