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Transgender rights activistic Harish Iyer connected Thursday (March 26, 2026) resigned from the presumption of Advisor connected the Core Group connected LGBTQI+ issues astatine the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), successful protestation of the alleged nonaccomplishment of NHRC to basal for the LGBTQI+ community. He slammed the authorities and NHRC for not consulting the halfway radical connected immoderate of the cardinal issues astir the transgender community, calling his relation with NHRC ‘untenable’ anymore. “The NHRC cannot assertion to beryllium a “watchdog of quality rights” oregon boast astir “spreading quality rights awareness” portion remaining perfectly contented with this autocracy,” the resignation missive has stated.
Tendering his resignation successful protestation of the transition of the Transgender Persons Amendment Bill, 2026, helium termed it an onslaught connected the cardinal rights of the trans community.
“It is unscientific and has been brought successful with zero consultations. When the authorities legislates successful an echo enclosure without consulting the precise radical whose lives are connected the line, it does not draught protective laws; it drafts a measure that invalidates our precise existence. The sick effect of this arrogant non-consultation is simply a measure wholly divorced from crushed reality,” helium said, critiquing the NHRC for its silence. The resignation (a transcript of which is with The Hindu) was sent connected Thursday (March 26, 2026) afternoon.
He said that the NHRC had failed to basal by the broad advisory it had itself issued successful 2023, regarding the payment of transgender persons. “Just 3 years ago, the Commission laid retired expansive guidelines to the Centre and States, ostensibly to support the community’s dignity, guarantee healthcare access, and forestall discrimination. Yet today, erstwhile a portion of authorities actively dismantles those precise protections—reinstating the nonstop systemic unit the Commission erstwhile claimed to oppose—the NHRC has abruptly mislaid its voice,” the missive stated.
Harish Iyer, on with a fewer seasoned LGBTQI+ activists, was appointed connected NHRC’s Core Group by a authorities bid issued successful 2018. Among the halfway responsibilities of the radical is to reappraisal the existing authorities policies, laws, rules and orders related to LGBTQI assemblage from the position of quality rights, and marque suggestions oregon recommendations for changes. “I accepted this relation with the earnest anticipation that the Commission intended to unrecorded up to that mandate and enactment arsenic a fierce, autarkic watchdog. I was profoundly mistaken,” Mr Harish wrote successful his resignation letter.
The draught of full resignation letter
Dear Chairperson, Secretary General and Chief Executive Officer, and Members of National Human Rights Commission,
Please judge this missive arsenic my ceremonial and contiguous resignation from my presumption arsenic an Advisor connected the Core Group connected LGBTQI+ issues astatine the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).
The Commission’s authoritative website explicitly states that the NHRC’s Vision and Mission is the “protection and promotion of quality rights,” defined arsenic the “rights relating to life, liberty, equality and dignity of the idiosyncratic guaranteed by the Constitution.” The instauration proudly claims that the satellite looks astatine the NHRC arsenic a “role exemplary successful promoting and monitoring effectual implementation” of these rights. I accepted this relation with the earnest anticipation that the Commission intended to unrecorded up to that mandate and enactment arsenic a fierce, autarkic watchdog. I was profoundly mistaken. Now that the draconian Transgender Persons Amendment Bill 2026 has been bulldozed done some Houses of Parliament, the NHRC’s deafening soundlessness seems similar a mockery of its ain ngo connection and rendered my continued relation with this assemblage untenable.
The hypocrisy is peculiarly glaring erstwhile 1 recalls the broad advisory issued by the NHRC connected September 15, 2023, regarding the payment of transgender persons. Just 3 years ago, the Commission laid retired expansive guidelines to the Centre and States, ostensibly to support the community’s dignity, guarantee healthcare access, and forestall discrimination. Yet today, erstwhile a portion of authorities actively dismantles those precise protections—reinstating the nonstop systemic unit the Commission erstwhile claimed to oppose—the NHRC has abruptly mislaid its voice. This glaring soundlessness renders the 2023 advisory arsenic thing much than performative paperwork wholly devoid of immoderate existent intent.
As a halfway subordinate of this committee, I was ne'er consulted connected this amendment measure astatine immoderate stage. To the champion of my knowledge, neither were immoderate of the different members. What precisely is the request of this role—or this full committee—if determination is perfectly zero consultation connected the azygous astir devastating portion of authorities to deed the trans assemblage successful years?
This measure is not conscionable an onslaught connected our cardinal rights; it is besides unscientefic and has been brought successful with zero consultations.
When the authorities legislates successful an echo enclosure without consulting the precise radical whose lives are connected the line, it does not draught protective laws; it drafts a measure that invalidates our precise existence. The sick effect of this arrogant non-consultation is simply a measure wholly divorced from crushed reality. I person been a portion of this committee since 2018. We person convened erstwhile a twelvemonth for a Salaam-Namaste and thing beyond the same. I bash not privation to beryllium a portion of a tick container exercise.
I petition your dependable against this Bill.
When this Bill officially becomes an Act, it volition unleash a torrent of state-sanctioned quality rights violations. It strips distant the community’s “liberty, equality, and dignity.” It reinstates humiliating aesculapian boards, forcing trans individuals to acquisition degrading carnal scrutiny simply to beryllium their existence. The Bill lacks immoderate knowing of subject and societal sciences. It presumes that 1 tin find retired sex done bodily scrutiny. It forgets the technological information that 1 doesn’t request to physically person a sex affirmation country to telephone themselves transgender.
It efficaciously writes trans men retired of ineligible existence, leaving them wholly invisible and vulnerable. Furthermore, it wholly ignores the severe, state-sponsored intelligence wellness situation that is pushing young queer and trans radical toward termination due to the fact that they spot perfectly nary mode out.
But possibly the astir insidious portion is the weaponisation of Section 18, which volition present criminalise the chosen families and allies who connection refuge to trans younker escaping violently patriarchal and abusive biologic homes.
All the supra points were highlighted by members of Parliament. However, the Bill passed done a dependable vote.
This brings maine to a precise superior question for this Commission: Under this caller Act, anyone offering harmless haven oregon enactment to a trans idiosyncratic tin beryllium treated arsenic a criminal. Therefore, if the National Human Rights Commission decides to fulfil its mandate time and helps oregon shelters a trans younker fleeing violence, volition the authorities apprehension the NHRC arsenic well? Will the Commission’s ain members beryllium thrown successful jailhouse for protecting cardinal quality rights?
I americium alert that this Bill was drafted and moved by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE). However, does the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA)—under whose administrative umbrella the NHRC functions—not person a accidental erstwhile cardinal law rights are being systematically stripped away? Do these authorities departments simply not pass with 1 another?
Perhaps the Commission’s soundlessness makes implicit consciousness erstwhile 1 examines this administrative link. How tin citizens perchance expect the NHRC to support their rights erstwhile it answers to the precise ministry that controls the constabulary forces? It is the MHA’s machinery that volition beryllium knocking connected the doors of our chosen families to apprehension them nether the MoSJE’s discriminatory law. This deficiency of inter-departmental dialog is either gross incompetence oregon a deliberate strategy to evade accountability. The Commission acts arsenic an advisory committee to the precise strategy that is orchestrating our marginalisation. Consequently, its independency is simply a specified illusion.
The NHRC cannot assertion to beryllium a “watchdog of quality rights” oregon boast astir “spreading quality rights awareness” portion remaining perfectly contented with this autocracy. If the Commission cannot basal up to the authorities erstwhile it places a marginalized assemblage successful beforehand of a legislative firing squad, past it has failed its cardinal mandate entirely.
I cannot, successful bully conscience, lend my name, my time, oregon my credibility to this committee. Rights person to beryllium fought for; they are not won by sitting softly successful complicit committee rooms. My spot close present is connected the streets with my people, warring this zillat aur besharmi.
I volition beryllium nevertheless disposable for each consultations if NHRC meaningfully wishes to marque immoderate quality to transgender lives. I volition bash that arsenic a national of this country. I recognize that I bash not request to beryllium a portion of this radical to bash so.
Sincerely,
Harish Iyer
“The onus of inclusion, lies connected those who are included, not connected those who are excluded” - Harish
