Transgender student invited to dinner with Canadian PM

A transgender student of Panjab University (PU), Dhananjay Chauhan, has been invited by the Canadian authorities to have dinner with the visiting Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in New Delhi, a University official said here.

Dhananjay is the first transgender student of the Department of Human Rights and Duties at Panjab University, Chandigarh.

The invitation had been extended by Nadir Patel, High Commissioner for Canada to India. The dinner will be held in Delhi on February 22.

"Dhananjay has been working hard to alleviate the plight of transgenders and is also a founder of NGO, Saksham Trust," Swarnjit Kaur, Coordinator, Centre for Human Rights and Duties (U.I.E.A.S.S), PU said here on Monday.

"This is not Dhananjay's singular achievement. Dhananjay's association with the Centre dates back to approximately two years prior to her admission to the Masters programme in 2016," Kaur said.

"At that time, the students interacted with her as a President of Saksham Trust involved in rights of transgender community. After being on the rolls of the Centre, Dhananjay was invited to Netherlands in 2016 in the month of August to participate in an international meet on rights of transgender people," Kaur said.

--IANS

js/pgh/bg