While with Irom Sharmila contesting in Manipur electioms 2017, the polls got the national attention, the state has also set another record as Election Commission of India allowed a trans-women to vote as a woman.
18-year-old Sandra was worried if she will be able to cast her first vote in the current polls. However, to her utter surprise, the election officials recognised her as a female when she applied for her voter id. Something that she always wished despite being born a male. And on March 4, Sandra stood in a women’s queue as a female officially.
Amid the political turmoil and election anxiety, Sandra silently created a revolution in Manipur by celebrating the victory of womanhood and being a first-time “female” voter.
Born as Nandeibam Sandeep Singh, she is now popularly known as Sandra Serto Nandeibam.
Sandra like all other youngsters was quite excited to cast her first vote for choosing the CM of Manipur but the fact that the Election Commission of India recognised her as a woman has given new hopes to her and her community who are fighting for National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) in Manipur.
This might be one of the few incidents in Manipur where a transgender has been recognized as a woman by the EC and surprisingly without any complications!
