Naduve Suliva Hennu, an autobiography of transgender folk artist and Padma Shri award winner B. Manjamma Jogati has been selected as the basic Kannada textbook for B.Sc. 4th semester of Gulbarga University.
The autobiography, drafted by writer Arun Joladkudligi in Kannada and published by Pallava Prakashana, will remain as the textbook for the next three years starting 2021-22.
Earlier, the Karnataka State Akkamahadevi Women’s University, Vijayapura, had introduced a part of Manjamma Jogati’s biography narrated Chandrappa Sobati in its textbooks.
As per sources in the university, the publisher has been asked to prepare a 100-page concise summary of the work to increase readability.
“The University Grant Commission had introduced the Choice Based Credit System to offer opportunities explore additional avenues of learning beyond the core subjects for the holistic development of an individual and the autobiography of Manjamma Jogati is selected as a textbook under this system. Earlier, autobiographies and biographies of great writers from the South or Coastal Karnataka region are normally selected as textbooks. Later, we decided to introduce local achievers who have made significant contributions in different fields – art, culture, music, politics, science and technology, spirituality and sports – along with the literature. I think we are the first university to introduce a complete autobiography of a transgender achiever as textbook for students,” H.T. Pote, chairman of the 10-member Board of Studies that selected the work, told The Hindu.
Thanking the university for selecting an autobiography of an achiever from “one of the most oppressed and humiliated communities”, Mr. Joladkudligi said the study of Manjamma Jogati’s autobiography would help students change their mindset towards the community.
“Transgender community is one of the most oppressed and humiliated communities in India. The society never treated them as equal fellow human beings. Fighting against all odds and humiliations, Manjamma Jogati rose to emerge as a folk artist popularising the Jogati dance,” Mr. Joladkudligi said.
Manjamma Jogati was the first transgender chairperson of the Karnataka Janapada Academy.