Category: Commentary | Varta Trust

Quote: ‘Nupi Maanbi’ cannot be dismissed as a ‘creation’ of modern law or as an identity imported from a foreign context. The existence of multiple genders in Manipuri society is reflected in the historical records written in Meitei Mayek (pre-modern Manipuri) script . . . Thus Nupi Maanbis have the right to identify themselves as women or trans women not only in the context of post-colonial Indian law, but also in terms of the existence of gender plurality in traditional Manipuri society. The quote text is superimposed on a faded photograph of a Manipuri newspaper article to provide context and a design element to the illustration. Artwork credit: Pawan Dhall.

Commentary

Sep '19

Attempts at erasing trans cultures in Manipur

By Santa Khurai

Santa Khurai on trans women in Manipur being denied their traditional space in the Lai Haraoba festival

The photograph shows the main entrance to the campus of the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Imphal. This institute is not only one of the key government hospital cum medical colleges in Manipur, its psychiatry department is also considered to be one of the few queer-friendly options in the state in terms of mental health services. The photograph is a day-time picture and it shows the imposing entrance stand out against a cloudy sky. The entrance consists of a central column with a pagoda like rooftop, with an arch on either side of the column sloping down to the ground. There are iron gates on either side of the column through which vehicles can be seen moving in and out. The background consists of a building under construction and several trees inside the RIMS campus. Photo credit: Bonita Pebam

Jun '19

Queer lives matter!

By Sadam Hanjabam

Sadam Hanjabam on the unaddressed mental health needs of queer youth in Manipur

The photograph shows a close up shot of a poster with a message on gender diversity and equity at the ‘Kolkata Rainbow Pride Walk’ held on December 11, 2016. The message says “I am not what happened to me. I am who I choose to become.” The text is accompanied by the drawing of a double-face – the masculine and the feminine elements mirrored in a single human face. The feminine elements have been symbolized by a red ‘bindi’, red lips and a golden nose bangle. The person carrying the poster is not visible. There are other people around carrying more posters. Photo credit: ‘Hidden Pockets’.

Commentary

Sep '17

Inclusion of transgender community: Status of NALSA judgement implementation?

By Brindaalakshmi K.

Brindaalakshmi K. provides a low-down on where the much celebrated apex court verdict on transgender identities and rights has reached This article has been excerpted and republished with permission from...

The photograph shows a collage of a few newspaper and magazine articles on queer issues. Two of the prominent ones are headlined ‘LGBT Andolan Je Bhabe Mool Strotay’ (Growth of LGBT Movement) and ‘Who Said it Was Simple’. The first written by Pawan Dhall was published in the newspaper ‘Ei Samay’ in December 2012, and the second by Sthira Bhattacharya was published in the ‘Kindle’ online magazine in July 2013. Visuals in the articles include a photograph of participants in a queer pride walk in Kolkata, and another one of an individual clapping their hands in the style often Hijras and other transgender persons do (such clapping is termed as ‘thikri’ in Bengali and often signifies assertion and protest). Photo credit: Pawan Dhall

Commentary

Aug '17

Memories in media outings (part 4)

By Pawan Dhall

In Kolkata’s Queer Movement: A Recollection of Media Outings – Mid-1984 to Mid-2013 Pawan Dhall remembers his personal queer-story over the years (concluding part) This four-part series of extracts is being...

This main photograph shows a collage of copies of the ‘AIDS Sex Knowledge’ or ‘ASK’ column published for young people by Kolkata-based social communication NGO Thoughtshop Foundation in 1996. The interactive column was published in the ‘Voices’ youth supplement of ‘The Statesman’ every third Thursday. Four editions of the column from February to April 1996 dealt with queer issues with inputs from Counsel Club, one of India’s earliest queer support groups. The photograph shows snippets of the column from these four editions – reader questions, myths and realities pointers, and reader comments on gender and sexuality. The full column name is displayed prominently – ‘AIDS Sex Knowledge for Young People’ with the tag line “If you don’t ask, you’ll never know, will you?” The ‘Voices’ masthead is also prominently visible. Photo credit: Pawan Dhall

Commentary

Jul '17

Memories in media outings (part 3)

By Pawan Dhall

In Kolkata’s Queer Movement: A Recollection of Media Outings – Mid-1984 to Mid-2013 Pawan Dhall remembers his personal queer-story over the years. This four-part series of extracts is being published in...

This main photograph shows a snapshot of a Bengali article titled ‘Chhaichapa Fire’ (Fire That Would Be Worthless to Try and Douse) by Sanjukta Basu published in ‘Ananda Bazar Patrika’ newspaper on April 3, 1999. The photograph shows a portion of the article text (including the headline), with a black and white sketch (by artist Debasish Deb) more or less centre stage. The sketch shows two women with long flowing hair and sharp facial features holding and looking at each other. A one-line article introduction below the sketch translates into “Homosexuals in the heart of the city are forming clubs to seek social acceptance, writes Sanjukta Basu”. The sketch may not be remarkable by many standards, but the article in question created quite a buzz in the queer activism circles in Kolkata in the late 1990s. It helped the city’s queer support groups reach out to thousands of individuals through letters and one-on-one meetings. Photo credit: Pawan Dhall

Commentary

Jun '17

Memories in media outings (part 2)

By Pawan Dhall

In Kolkata’s Queer Movement: A Recollection of Media Outings – Mid-1984 to Mid-2013 Pawan Dhall remembers his personal queer-story over the years. This four-part series of extracts is being published in...

Commentary

May '17

Memories in media outings (part 1)

By Pawan Dhall

In Kolkata’s Queer Movement: A Recollection of Media Outings – Mid-1984 to Mid-2013 Pawan Dhall remembers his personal queer-story over the years. This four-part series of extracts is being published in...

Commentary

Nov '16

Privilege 101: Your handy primer to oppression and privilege

By Asmita Ghosh

Asmita Ghosh wants us to acknowledge and push back our social privileges, often invisible to our own eyes but painfully evident to those denied the same This article was originally published on Feminism...

Tagged Under: Commentary

Attempts at erasing trans cultures in Manipur

Queer lives matter!

Inclusion of transgender community: Status of NALSA judgement implementation?

Memories in media outings (part 4)

Memories in media outings (part 3)

Memories in media outings (part 2)

Memories in media outings (part 1)

Privilege 101: Your handy primer to oppression and privilege

Queer Friendly Health and Legal Services

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