What does an anniversary celebration of a pride walk mean for queer communities who have till recently lived under the shadow of criminality cast by an outdated cruel law? Like every year, this year too has seen the celebration of pride in several parts of the country. Last month, on the 29th of June, Kolkata marked the 20th anniversary of ‘Friendship Walk ’99’, considered by many as the first ever rainbow pride walk in India and South Asia. The neighbouring town of Chandannagar hosted its seventh pride the next day (June 30) to extend solidarity. While two decades have concluded since the first pride, it’s important to look back and reflect on what pride meant then, what it has come to mean now, and what form it could take in the future.

The walk in 1999

On July 2, 1999, 15 queer individuals and allies donned bright yellow t-shirts and walked down the streets of Kolkata. Instead of calling it a pride march, as was the global trend in this regard, the organizers after considerable debate decided to call it the ‘Friendship Walk’. During the walk, they visited human rights activists, lawyers, doctors, civil society organizations and government agencies like the West Bengal Human Rights Commission and West Bengal State AIDS Prevention and Control Society to generate awareness about queer communities and their visibility as a community.

This daytime photograph shows a scene from ‘Friendship Walk ‘99’ – six of the 15 people who participated in the event 20 years ago in Kolkata are walking on a pavement. In the forefront from the left are Aditya Mohnot, Owais Khan, Satish Kumar and Navarun Gupta. Walking behind them are Jasmir Thakur (behind Aditya Mohnot) and Ashok Row Kavi (partially hidden behind Satish Kumar). All the walkers are dressed in bright yellow t-shirts with the ‘Friendship Walk ‘99’ logo emblazoned on the t-shirts right in the centre. The logo consists of a pink inverted triangle combined with a map of India superimposed on a light-coloured rectangle that contrasts with the yellow of the t-shirt. Placed right on top of the base of the inverted triangle is the name of LGBT-India (in blue and white lettering), one of India’s earliest attempts at forming a national queer collective. Right above the rectangle is text that says “Friendship Walk ‘99”, and just below the rectangle is more text that says “Calcutta, July 2, 1999”. Behind the walkers can be seen a couple of stalls, a few labourers, lamp posts, and trees on the pavement and in an adjoining park. Photo courtesy LGBT-India.

A scene from ‘Friendship Walk ‘99’ – in the forefront from left Aditya Mohnot, Owais Khan, Satish Kumar and Navarun Gupta; behind them are Jasmir Thakur (left) and Ashok Row Kavi (partially hidden). Photo courtesy LGBT-India

Knowing that the very first pride in the country was rooted in the idea of ‘friendship’ is interesting and in many ways, comforting. Back in 1999, queer activism was still in its early stages. A collective consciousness, identity and a common language for the experiences of the queer communities was just emerging. It was at this stage that a growing friendship among a group of individuals became the central force that enabled the ‘Friendship Walk’.

Friendships have held a special importance in the lives of queer persons by becoming the ‘families of choice’ for many queer persons who have experienced rejection from their own natal families. Friendships have thus been integral to building a body of queer resistance. At the same time, given that queer activism in 1999 was only just emerging in the public domain, the idea of ‘friendship’ operated as a more inclusive, non-threatening way of starting a dialogue about queerness and queer lives with the larger society.

Though 15 people finally walked on July 2, 1999, many more have played a critical role over the years in mobilising political consciousness and creating a sense of ‘community’. The first walk was instrumental in starting a much needed dialogue on visibility of queer communities within the larger society. Though it took some time, pride became a common annual event in Kolkata from 2003 and a multi-city affair across India from 2008. Today, it’s celebrated yearly with much pomp and show in several state capitals of India and places as varied as Chandannagar, Darjeeling and Jamshedpur to name a few. It’s been a long journey since 1999. So 20 years later, when we found ourselves celebrating this historical journey, we were quite overwhelmed.

Quote: Friendships have held a special importance in the lives of queer persons by becoming the ‘families of choice’ for many queer persons who have experienced rejection from their own natal families. Friendships have thus been integral to building a body of queer resistance. At the same time, given that queer activism in 1999 was only just emerging in the public domain, the idea of ‘friendship’ operated as a more inclusive, non-threatening way of starting a dialogue about queerness and queer lives with the larger society.

Bees saal baad . . .

On the 29th of June, around 3 pm, as we gathered at the Park Circus Maidan in South Kolkata to celebrate the first of the events (an opening remembrance) to observe the 20th anniversary of ‘Friendship Walk ‘99’, we were hit by a wave of humidity that precedes a big shower. Soon enough the first downpour of the week hit us – just as the first walk in 1999 was completed under pouring rain and through flooded streets!

As soon as the rains subsided, the cacophony and hustle bustle that precedes an event took over. We started off with six of the 15 first-time walkers who had walked in 1999 – Rafiquel Haque Dowjah, Ashok Row Kavi, Aditya Mohnot, Satish Kumar, Owais Khan and Pawan Dhall – bringing to light the history of pride in India, sharing their journey since 1999. The significance of the Park Circus Maidan was underlined – the walk in 1999 had also begun from the same place, though from a different site. This was followed by a dance performance.

This is a combination of two photographs, placed horizontally one above the other. Both photographs were taken on June 29, 2019, the first day of the events organized over two days in Kolkata and Chandannagar to observe the 20th anniversary of ‘Friendship Walk ‘99’. The lower photograph shows six of the 15 people who participated in ‘Friendship Walk ‘99’ and one other individual gathered at Park Circus Maidan, the starting point of the 20th anniversary events. The six individuals (from right to left) include Rafiquel Haque Dowjah, Pawan Dhall, Aditya Mohnot, Satish Kumar, Ashok Row Kavi and Owais Khan. The participants are all smiles looking at the cameras (not visible in the photograph) and are standing behind a long banner that says “Friendship Walk 20th Anniversary – Celebrating 20 years of Kolkata Rainbow Pride Walk”. The upper photograph shows the same individuals seated behind a long table for a panel discussion held later on the same day (in the evening) at Tata Centre, Chowringhee Road. The speakers are flanked by trans activist and panel chairperson Anubhuti Banerjee on the left (with a microphone in her hand) and sign language interpreter Rajani Banerjee on the right. Just behind Anubhuti Banerjee is a large rainbow flag. Photo credits: Prosenjit Pal and Rith Das

Above: Six of the first-time walkers (first six individuals counting from the right) – Rafiquel Haque Dowjah, Pawan Dhall, Aditya Mohnot, Satish Kumar, Ashok Row Kavi and Owais Khan – at Park Circus Maidan, starting point of the 20th anniversary events (photo credit Prosenjit Pal). Top: The same individuals at the panel discussion at Tata Centre flanked by panel chair Anubhuti Banerjee on the left and sign language interpreter Rajani Banerjee on the right (photo credit Rith Das)

The starting point of the anniversary events witnessed not only large community and ally participation, but the outpouring of several young student volunteers affiliated with organizations such as Nazariya: A Grassroots LGBT+Straight Alliance. As the crowd slowly gathered, the organizers and volunteers handed out pamphlets to bystanders who were passing by. Souvenir badges and t-shirts commemorating the 20th anniversary of ‘Friendship Walk ’99’ were distributed against donations to raise funds for the anniversary events as well as future events. The opening event wound up around 4 pm.

The next part of the anniversary events, about an hour later, was a symbolic walk (not the annual Kolkata pride held in December) beginning from the Academy of Fine Arts till the Tata Centre on Chowringhee Road (both locations in Central Kolkata). As the march started, so did another downpour. But this time it was harder and longer, attempting its best to dampen the celebrations. But about 150 people waddled through pools of water, with some welcoming the opportunity to get drenched while others sought cover under umbrellas and the rainbow flag that stretched across the march.

There was very little that the downpour could achieve when it came to trying to disrupt the walk. By the end of it, we all stood soaked, excited, exhausted and perhaps ready to call it a day in front of the Tata Centre, opposite the Elliot Park. As we marked 20 years of the ‘Kolkata Rainbow Pride Walk’, we wondered what would we be celebrating and fighting 20 years from now. The walk made us think about the generations of resistance that have gone into making simple human rights principles realisable for our communities and how for many, resistance against oppressive institutions and societal structures is an everyday reality and a way of life.

This photograph was taken outside the Academy of Fine Arts in Central Kolkata on June 29, 2019. It was the starting point of a symbolic rainbow pride walk, which was the second leg of the ‘Friendship Walk ‘99’ anniversary events. It shows nearly a dozen youth volunteers of different genders posing for a group photograph along with a large ‘Friendship Walk 20th Anniversary’ events banner (Bengali version) and a number of posters and placards. The banner text translated into English says “Friendship Walk 20th Anniversary – Celebrating 20 years of Kolkata Rainbow Pride Walk”. The 20th anniversary events logo makes up the right half of the banner. A sample of the slogans written on the posters and placards: “Bees saal baad, 1999 rahe aabaad” and “Aazaad hai hum, yeh chuppi khol, haque se bol, halla bol” (in Hindi); and “It’s fine to stand out of the line, shove the stigma, rise and shine” and “The first walk was a riot” (in English). In the background can be seen a crowd of people, a food stall or two, billboards and a number of trees. Photo credit: Sayani Basak

Display of posters and banners at the start of the symbolic walk outside Academy of Fine Arts. Photo credit: Sayani Basak

Reflections . . .

As the rain continued to pound the streets of Kolkata and the symbolic walk concluded, the anniversary events moved indoors to the Tata Centre building. After the welcome note was delivered by Anubhuti Banerjee, representing the Wings queer employees’ resource group in Tata Steel, seven youth performers staged a skit developed by queer support group Amitie’ Trust, Belur that portrayed queer people’s journey of overcoming discrimination and violence and reaching a point of survival with dignity and pride.

After the skit, two panels were organized. First, where the participants of ‘Friendship Walk ‘99’ looked back on their experiences and motivations of the time along with the changes they had witnessed over 20 years. The speakers were Rafiquel Haque Dowjah, Owais Khan, Aditya Mohnot, Ashok Row Kavi, Pawan Dhall and Satish Kumar. This panel was chaired by Anubhuti Banerjee.

This photograph shows seven youth associated with queer support group Amitie’ Trust, Belur performing a skit at Tata Centre. This was the venue for the evening programme of the 20th anniversary events for ‘Friendship Walk ‘99’ on June 29, 2019. The programme started off with the skit developed by Amitie’ Trust. It portrayed queer people’s journey of overcoming discrimination and violence and reaching a point of survival with dignity and pride. The photograph was taken towards the end of the skit. The performers are facing the main audience, which is behind the camera. The lead performer is posing in the foreground with a rainbow pride flag aloft in her hands as a symbol of freedom from oppression. The other six, a little distance away from her, are standing in two rows; they are turned towards her with smiling faces, heads held high, and right hands raised in appreciation and celebration. The dimmed ceiling lights and colours on the walls of the performance space seem to create a positive ambience. Two individuals can be seen watching the performance in the far background. Photo credit: Pawan Dhall

Amitie’ Trust’s members perform a skit. Photo credit: Pawan Dhall

As an extension of the first panel, a number of discussants from the audience were asked to speak about different aspects of ‘Kolkata Rainbow Pride Walk’. Rudra Kishore Mondal spoke about the formation of Kolkata Rainbow Pride Festival collective, which helped bring in the involvement of the wider queer community beyond NGOs in the organizing of the walk 2011 onwards. Ishan Chakraborty emphasized how the organizers must think carefully about disability inclusion in the walk and related events – in terms of not just the mere presence of persons with disabilities, but also disability-sensitive communication and logistics. Ani Dutta and Sampurn Ghosh spoke about the changes in trans participation in Kolkata pride over the years, particularly the fact that several forms of exclusion still persisted even as greater numbers of trans women and trans men now participated in the walk. This discussion was followed by a dance performance by another member of Amitie’ Trust.

This was followed by the second panel which saw the participation of Aparna Banerjee of Amitie’ Trust, Belur; Shivalal Gautam of Xomonnoy, Guwahati; Abhilash Patra of Parichay, Bhubaneswar; and Joyita Mondal of Dinajpur Natun Aalo Society, Islampur. They spoke about their experiences of organizing pride in smaller cities – Chandannagar, Guwahati, Islampur and Bhubaneswar, respectively. The second panel was chaired by Pawan Dhall.

This photograph is a collage that shows four discussants from the audience speak during the evening programme of the 20th anniversary events for ‘Friendship Walk ‘99’ on June 29, 2019. The venue was Tata Centre on Chowringhee Road. The discussants are Ani Dutta, Rudra Kishore Mandal, Ishan Chakraborty and Sampurn Ghosh. They spoke as part of the interaction during the first panel of the evening with the participants of ‘Friendship Walk ‘99’. In some of the photographs, other members of the audience are also visible as the discussants speak holding a microphone. All photo credits: Rith Das

Discussants at the panel discussion at Tata Centre – clockwise from top right Ani Dutta (centre, with microphone), Rudra Kishore Mandal, Ishan Chakraborty and Sampurn Ghosh. Photo credit: Rith Das

In the first panel, as the participants of ‘Friendship Walk ‘99’ reflected back, they acknowledged the largely urban, middle-class roots of their activism and their limitations in making the walk inclusive and intersectional. For one, a big constituent missing from the walk were queer women (only one of the 15 first-time walkers was a woman, one among two allies in the group; the others were all gay or bisexual men). Lesbian visibility in the public domain at the time was still limited. In 1998, the controversy around the movie Fire had captured the public imagination. The depiction of a sexual and romantic relationship between two women on screen proliferated right wing protests that sought to label queer persons as influenced by western culture and sensibility.

These events in some sense pointed to the need for more organizations like Sappho, which was formed just ahead of ‘Friendship Walk ‘99’ as the first exclusive support forum in eastern India advocating for the rights of lesbians and bisexual women, and later trans men as well. Though the controversy around Fire was prevalent in the minds of the organizers of ‘Friendship Walk ‘99’, queer women didn’t participate in the event. As the organizers of the first walk explained, while a few queer women were unable to travel over from other cities because of logistical factors like non-availability of train tickets, for many others (including those in Kolkata) visible association with a queer-themed event was a challenge.

This is a group photograph taken at the end of the evening programme of the 20th anniversary events for ‘Friendship Walk ‘99’ on June 29, 2019. The venue was Tata Centre. It shows the panellists who spoke during the two panels that evening, the panel chairpersons and some of the audience members standing together in roughly two rows, smiling and looking at the camera. Right in front of the people being photographed is a long table used for the panel discussions. Hanging in front of the table is the anniversary events banner with text that says: “Friendship Walk 20th Anniversary – Celebrating 20 years of Kolkata Rainbow Pride Walk – 29th June, 2019: Kolkata; 30th June, 2019: Chandannagar”. The text is in the left half of the banner, while the 20th anniversary events logo makes up the right half of the banner. Photo credit: Sourav Chakraborty

Panellists and audience members at the Tata Centre event. Photo credit: Sourav Chakraborty

More on making the walk inclusive

Looking beyond the first walk itself, some of the panellists and discussants said that pride organizing in Kolkata had still to go some way in being inclusive. Though trans women, especially those from the districts were present in large numbers in the first few editions of ‘Kolkata Rainbow Pride Walk’ since 2003, the scenario changed around the end of the 2000s as more urban, middle class, cisgender gay and bisexual men started participating in the walk. Some trans women were critical that Kolkata pride, along the way, stopped being as welcoming of working class trans persons as it was in the earlier years. Hijra participation in the walk had also reduced significantly.

While queer women had become more visible in the Kolkata pride since 2011-12, they and trans persons, particularly trans masculine individuals, continued to face greater barriers to inclusion within queer spaces – in the pride and beyond. With regard to making conscious attempts at inclusion of persons with disabilities and individuals from the Dalit communities, Kolkata pride had just about made a start in recent years. The importance of not confusing ‘inclusion’ with ‘integration’ was pointed out. While the former could easily morph into tokenistic participation, the latter required a systemic overhaul and re-thinking of our movements, modes of expression, and activisms.

Pride beyond metropolitan India

As Kolkata celebrated 20 years for pride, queer people in Chandannagar – an erstwhile French colony on the banks of the Hooghly – witnessed their 7th pride on the 30th of June. Pride in Chandannagar started in 2013 as an initiative rooted in the need to counter violence against queer persons through visibility and sensitization. Unlike the big cities, where the pride march happens in non-residential spaces, Chandannagar’s pride passes through a route flanked by private homes on either side. As we started walking from the Chandannagar Strand, the starting point every year, besides curious onlookers on the road, people stood at their balconies and windows to observe a loud and colourful crowd making its way through roads that are generally marked by the calm of afternoon naps. The Chandannagar pride was characterised by its intimacy and warmth because of its sense of community – something that is increasingly rare in an age of big media and pinkwashing.

This photograph shows queer activists Sintu Bagui, Suzi Bhowmick, Joyita Mondal and one of their friends participating in the ‘7th Chandannagar Rainbow Pride Walk’ on June 30, 2019 – the second day of the events organized in Kolkata and Chandannagar to mark the 20th anniversary of ‘Friendship Walk ‘99’. They can be seen, all smiles, standing behind a banner that says “7th Queer Pride Walk – Chandannagar, Hooghly”. Another participant standing to their right is holding on to a poster with text in Bengali, which when translated means ‘Supreme Court verdict is our victory’. The participants in the photograph are standing close to the starting point of the walk on the Chandannagar Strand. In the background is the Chandannagar Police Station building. There are many other walk participants milling around, some waving a large rainbow flag and others holding up a rainbow umbrella. A fresh green canopy of trees against the sky adds to the colourful atmosphere. The Chandannagar pride was primarily organized by Amitie’ Trust, Belur. Photo credit: Pawan Dhall

This photograph shows another scene from the ‘7th Chandannagar Rainbow Pride Walk’ on June 30, 2019 – the second day of the events organized in Kolkata and Chandannagar to mark the 20th anniversary of ‘Friendship Walk ‘99’. About half a dozen walk participants are holding on to the edges of a large rainbow flag all round it, carrying it at waist height and moving it up and down with a wavelike motion. The undulations in the flag make for a captivating sight. Behind them is an old, peach-coloured single-storied mansion with grand arcades (on the ground floor as well as the first floor) and ornate balcony railings. A small name plaque next to the main entrance says “Shantarab”. An old man, likely a septuagenarian, is standing on the first floor, leaning on the balcony railing and looking at the pride procession. Some trees can be seen to the right of the mansion, and the upper left corner of the photograph shows a slice of a bright blue sky and white clouds. Photo credit: Pawan Dhall

Top: Queer activists (from left) Sintu Bagui, Suzi Bhowmick and Joyita Mondal (extreme right) with a friend at the Chandannagar pride. Above: Another scene from the Chandannagar pride. Photo credits: Pawan Dhall

Much like Chandannagar, prides across non-metropolitan cities are now a reality. Not only do prides provide spaces where one can find community and a sense of security, they’re also spaces that can spark political conversations about what queer liberation means to us. Islampur, located in the North Bengal district of Uttar Dinajpur, witnessed its first pride as recently as 2017. Interestingly, while many prides are organized to critique and resist State power, the local government in Islampur is known to provide considerable support to the pride organizers in the town. According to Joyita Mondal, pride in Islampur finds a lot of support not just from self-help groups and women’s rights organizations but also government employees. The next pride in Islampur is slated for January 2020.

In Guwahati, it was in 2014 that pride happened for the first time. Shivalal Gautam shared that while there was an initial conversation about the Guwahati pride being tagged as a pride for the entire north-eastern region, the idea was rejected. Instead, prides began to be organized slowly in other states in the North-East like Manipur, Meghalaya and most recently Arunachal Pradesh. Issues such as the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958; National Register of Citizens; and the Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2018 have featured strongly in pride walks in the region.

The marrying of pride with other social justice movements is an irreversible trend – movements against systemic oppression cannot exist in silos, and the acknowledgement of the inter-connected nature of our freedoms during pride walks thus has deep symbolic significance.

In Bhubaneshwar, the first pride was organized in 2009 and repeated in 2010. Most of the participants were trans women, their allies and representatives of civil society organizations. More recently, Parichay collective, a new queer support forum in Odisha, has attempted to ensure greater integration of the queer spectrum in the pride. In 2018, conversations between both older and newer queer initiatives as well as their allies resulted in a pride that saw a much wider participation of queer communities. Fragmentations within queer communities remind us that we need to be cognisant of different hierarchies that creep into queer spaces. A sincere commitment towards democratisation is one of the pressing issues facing queer initiatives.

This final photograph shows a scene from the closing moments of the ‘7th Chandannagar Rainbow Pride Walk’ on June 30, 2019 – the second day of the events organized in Kolkata and Chandannagar to mark the 20th anniversary of ‘Friendship Walk ‘99’. A mixed crowd of different ages and genders is gathered at the end point of the walk on the Chandannagar Strand, opposite the Chandannagar Police Station, which was also where the walk started. Some among the onlookers, including two of the walk organizers (Tanushree Chakraborty and Deshapriya Mahapatra of Amitie’ Trust), clap and cheer as they listen to queer activist Owais Khan give a motivational speech on queer pride events and planning for future events. A toto, three-wheeled vehicle similar to an auto-rickshaw, decorated with balloons and fitted with two loudspeakers connected to the microphone in the speaker’s hand can be seen on the road just behind the crowd. The police station building forms the backdrop. Photo credit: Rith Das

Queer activist Owais Khan speaks at the closing of the ‘7th Chandannagar Pride Walk’ as Tanushree Chakraborty and Deshapriya Mahapatra of Amitie’ Trust cheer on. Photo credit: Rith Das

Some personal observations

With rainbow pride walks having become a ‘mainstream’ and annual affair across many of India’s cities, it’s now difficult for us to envisage a time without them. Walking in prides in different parts of the country also gives one an opportunity to observe the different ways in which queer politics manifest themselves during this event. While the Delhi pride attracts huge numbers, it’s marked by streaks of classism – evident in the spaces that are marked out for post-pride celebrations. At the same time it’s warming to witness Delhi pride’s willingness to show solidarity with other issues and movements – whether it’s Kashmir, a challenge to fascism, or contesting Brahminical patriarchy. Kolkata pride too expresses these solidarities, but much like the city itself, is more grounded and humble than Delhi. The queer spaces in Kolkata appear to be more inclusive of the working classes, not to mention the pull of passionate arguments over bharer cha and cigarettes!

In times to come, how queer groups negotiate their politics with the State will become critical, especially with regard to developments like the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2019. In such situations, Owais Khan, one of the participants of ‘Friendship Walk ’99’ reminded us of the importance for continuous dialogue within movements. While consensus and agreement may not always be possible, dialogue with dissenting voices within our movements must remain integral.

Quote: The marrying of pride with other social justice movements is an irreversible trend – movements against systemic oppression cannot exist in silos, and the acknow-ledgement of the inter-connected nature of our freedoms during pride walks thus has deep symbolic significance.As conversations in Kolkata demonstrated, self-reflexivity and acknowledgement of both the successes and failures of the queer movements is intrinsic to building a more democratic, inclusive and intersectional queer space. At the same time resisting the commodification of pride and the pressure of assimilation, and debating what ‘liberation’ means for the queer communities in the so called ‘post-Section 377 era’ are issues that require attention.

While pride is often viewed as an act of celebration, it originated as an act of resistance. As is often said, the first gay pride was a riot! Staying true to its roots is particularly important for pride, especially at a time like this.

Apart from queer individuals and their allies, a number of agencies like Amitie’ Trust, Belur; Dumdum Swikriti Society, Kolkata; InterPride, Toronto; Nazariya – A Grassroots LGBT+Straight Alliance, Kolkata; Queer Ink, Mumbai; Wings Employee Resource Group, Tata Steel, Kolkata; and Varta Trust, Kolkata together organized the 20th anniversary events. Please visit this site to read more about ‘Friendship Walk ‘99’ and documentation on the anniversary events – Editor.

For 20th anniversary souvenir t-shirts, please visit this site. Suggested contribution: Rs.500/- per t-shirt. For souvenir badges, please write to vartablog@gmail.com – Editor.

About the main photo: Logo created by Rafiquel Haque Dowjah for the 20th anniversary observations of ‘Friendship Walk ‘99’ superimposed on a photograph taken at the ‘7th Chandannagar Rainbow Pride Walk’ by Prosenjit Pal.

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