Prithika Yashini Biography 
Prithika Yashini is India’s first transgender police officer. Though Tamil Nadu has three transgender constables and Yashini – aged 25 is the first officer. In a historic judgment passed by Madras high court Prithika gained attention nationwide. Prithika, who was earlier Pradeep underwent a sex re-assignment surgery in 2011 and the treatment was successfully completed in 2013, though in official records it was yet to change her gender. She now holds the identity card of a transgender. It was Prithika’s dream to become a police inspector. In her childhood she was attracted towards male inspectors with moustache on screen, while in the teens got drawn towards Vijayashanti playing female inspector roles.
Prithika was born as Pradeep into a middle class family in Salem, Tamil Nadu. His father is an auto driver and, mother is a tailor. He was interested in athletics. Yet he was often mocked by his friends for his girl-like behaviour. It was during his teens, while studying in Plus One, that he is not like his fellow male friends. He identified that he is shy like girls and can’t concentrate in studies deeply distressed in thoughts. After a lot of frustrations, he decided not to live a male life with female soul and told his parents. It was a big explosion in his family and he didn’t get parents’ support! They took him to god men and even many holy temples and at last counseling without any result. But Pradeep was already determined that he can’t live a man’s life!
Thus Pratheep left home in 2010. He has already completed post-graduate diploma from Bharathiar University and lived a male’s life till then. Pradeep underwent a sex re-assignment surgery in 2011 and the treatment was successfully completed in 2013. Pradeep changed his name to Prithika Yashini. While she applied for SI test, as she couldn’t find transgender column she marked herself as female. But her official records were yet to change. For the same reason her application got rejected. She cleared that through litigation and was allowed to participate in field trials in August 2015. But she fell short of her qualification in the race by just one second in 200m race. She has already cleared all written exams.
She moved to court once again. Though government questioned, why such exemption for a single candidate only, Preethika could justify herself saying that, it’s not her case only. She represents the whole transgender society. Thus with a historic win, she fulfilled her dreams. Now she aims to write IPS exams and dreams to work hard for transgender community that still is a taboo to Indian society.
Published: N/A
Updated: December 05, 2015
