Imphal: Transgender rights groups in Manipur on Sunday staged a protest against the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill 2026, terming it ‘regressive’ and contrary to the Supreme Court judgment which recognises self-identification of transgender individuals.Both Houses of parliament recently passed the bill.The protest was organised by the All Manipur Nupi Manbi Association (AMANA), Empowering Trans Ability (ETA), and the All Trans Men Association (ATMA) Manipur at the Mao Market in Imphal and Keishampat Leimajam Leikai in Imphal West.The transgender community gathered at the Mao Market in Imphal where they started the protest with a flash mob. Later, they staged a sit-in at Keishampat and burnt copies of the bill.Speaking to the media, AMANA secretary Santa Khurai said the bill undermines the landmark NALSA V/s Union of India ruling, which recognised the rights of transgender persons to self-identify their gender.“The bill is completely regressive and goes against the principle of self-identification. It attempts to pathologise transgender identity and impose restrictive definitions,” the activist said.The organisations alleged that the proposed law recognises only a limited set of identities such as Hijra, Kinnar and Jogappa, while ignoring diverse indigenous gender identities from the northeast.Santa cited identities such as Nupi Manbi and Nupa Manba in Manipur, along with similar culturally rooted identities in Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya, stating that the bill risks erasing these communities from legal recognition.“India is a diverse nation, yet this bill reflects a shallow outlook that fails to acknowledge identities beyond mainland constructs,” Santa said. “We did gender affirmative surgery before the bill came. We are going to continue doing gender affirmative surgery. This is our body. This is our identity. Whether the law recognised or not, we exist,” she added.Santa maintained the organisations are preparing to file a litigation in the Supreme Court along with partner organisations and build wider momentum to oppose the bill.
