Manabi Bandhopadhyay currently works as a Bengali professor at Vivekananda Satobarshiki Mahavidyalaya; will take over as principal of Krishnanagar Women's College.
Manabi Bandopadhyay is all set to become India's first transgender college principal.
Manabi, currently works as an associate professor in Bengali at Vivekananda Satobarshiki Mahavidyalaya in West Bengal. According to a report by a daily, she is going to take charge as the principal of Krishnanagar Women's College in West Bengal on June 9.
Manabi lives with her adopted son Debashish Manabiputro. While growing up, Manabi was the only son in her family, with two elder sisters. At the age of 38 in 2003, Manabi who was previously known as Somnath, underwent a sex change operation. After she became a woman, she adopted the name Manabi which is Bengali means 'woman'.
She faced a lot of torture in the society. But this did not stop her from getting a doctorate in Bengali.
After the sex change operation, Manabi was forced to move out of her professors' quarters, reports say. But she took legal help and maintained her position in the society.
Other than working at the college as a professor, she also acts in documentaries and has written a novel titled Endless Bondage. The novel turned out to be a best seller.
Krishnanagar Women's College authorities have reportedly said that they needed a principal with a strong personality to run the college, and hence they went ahead with this decision.
Quoting the State Education Minister Partha Chatterjee, the daily reported, "This decision was taken by the College Service Commission. I don't interfere in their decisions. They are aware of our open mind. I am happy with this decision."
Speaking to the daily, Manabi said she did not come looking for this post, but since her ailing father lives nearby it will be easier for her to take care of him. "It is not the post that I sought after. My 92-year-old father lives in Naihati. I took up this offer because I knew it will help me stay close by and look after him. My new colleagues had seen me on television but I had only heard their voices. I wanted to meet them personally before joining," she said.
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