Category: Insight | Page 3

This visual is a photograph of a sketch drawn on a ringed note pad with plain off-white paper. The sketch shows an orange barrel full of yellow-green toxic waste with the label “Warning!!! Toxic relationships!!” The barrel also has a sign of a heart with cross-bones along with the hazardous waste symbol. The sign is placed in the centre, between the two lines of text mentioned. The toxic waste is overflowing from the top of the barrel and there are several red flags sticking out of the barrel with labels like “Insecurity”, “Gaslighting”, “Controlling”, “Isolating” and “Lack of Respect”, all telltale signs of toxic relationships. Artwork and photograph credit: Debjyoti Ghosh

Insight Apr '22

Logging out of toxic relationships

By Jia Mata

Jia Mata on social norms, toxicity in queer relationships, and what can be done to make things better

This illustration is a combination of a photograph of Karthik, a Bangalore-based software developer and the interviewee in the accompanying article, and a quote attributed to him in the article. The photograph shows a bespectacled Karthik smiling cheerfully at the camera. He is wearing a white t-shirt with a stylized rainbow-coloured image of a clenched human fist. The image is accompanied with text that says #PRIDE, also in rainbow colours. Karthik is holding on to a crutch with his right hand. The background behind Karthik shows a blurred office environment. The accompanying quote says: “This is called ‘inspiration porn’ in the disabled community. People have set the bar so slow, just because they have disabilities it doesn’t mean they’re doing great things by just living their lives. The name comes from the fact that people try to derive inspiration from people with disabilities without understanding basic problems like lack of resources and support that is preventing us from doing extra stuff. We won’t have inspiration porn if there are more narratives about disabled people just living their lives.” Photo courtesy Karthik

Insight, People Mar '22

Disability, representation and pride

By Eishita

Karthik, a Bangalore-based software developer, opens up to Eishita on disability, sexuality and queer pride

Insight, Printed Word Feb '22

‘Bhalo Na Basar Galpo’

By Dr. Tirthankar Guha Thakurta

Dr. Tirthankar Guha Thakurta reviews Sudipto Pal’s same-sex yet universal love story of ‘not being in love’

Advice - Disability, Insight Jan '22

Is horizontal reservation ensuring jobs efficiently for the disabled?

By Amrita Chanda

Amrita Chanda elaborates on the situation of horizontal reservation for persons with disabilities in public sector employment

This rectangular graphic contains text that says: “In effect, the proposed amendment has divided adult Indian women into two categories for whom the chasm of choice, autonomy, and education widens everyday. Women in the first section are financially empowered and can marry at any age according to their wish. Coming from rich households, they can access several opportunities and some degree of financial independence. Women in the second section have little to no access to education, especially secondary education, as they belong to poorer households. These factors make women in this section statistically more likely to have a child marriage. But if they marry before 21, the marriage will not be legally recognised as per the proposed amendment.” The text is presented against a background that has patterns and colours symbolic of wedding decoration, clothes and festivities (primarily different shades of oranges and reds). The background design is borrowed from the MS Power Point software.

Insight, Policy Matters Dec '21

Can increasing women’s marriageable age alone enhance their life options?

By Sankalpita Mullick, Sudhasri Yadavalli

Sankalpita Mullick and Sudhasri Yadavalli analyse the controversial Prohibition of Child Marriage (Amendment) Bill, 2021

This graphic consists of two thought clouds placed next to each other inside a horizontal rectangle. The first cloud on the left says “You must be aware about protecting your OTP – onetime password.” The second cloud on the right is much larger and says “But what about safeguarding your ORTP – online right to privacy?” The text in both the clouds is in a bold typeface. The smaller cloud has text in black, while the bigger one has larger text in red. The clouds are coloured in different shades of yellow and placed against a striking blue and lavender background. Graphic credit: Pawan Dhall

Insight, Policy Matters Nov '21

Is digitization the new bed fellow for anti-queer discrimination?

By Brindaalakshmi K.

The author wants to alert queer people in India against an uncritical embracing of digital inclusion

This graphic is a combination of an extract from the accompanying article and the visual of a New Year’s greeting card, one among 3,000 such letters and cards that Kolkata-based Counsel Club, one of India’s earliest queer support groups (1993-2002), used to receive in the 1990s and early 2000s. The greeting card has three flaps. The central one is empty and the extract text, printed on a yellow vertical rectangle that looks similar to the postcards issued by India Post, is placed on this empty space. The flap to the left of the rectangle shows a pretty bouquet of flowers growing out of a pink heart. The flap to the right of the rectangle is a cut-out of an enchanting forest and a white dove flapping its wings. The text placed on the central flap says: “To me it is important to construct historical narratives that do not present queer identities and experiences as monolithic. By including personal documents and narratives, archives allow us to tell not one history, but multiple histories. Stories contained in the archives can provide leverage and evidence for activists as they bear witness to the pain and discrimination faced by queer people. The Counsel Club Archives definitely changed and expanded the way that I understand queerness in the context of my own hometown, Kolkata.” Graphic credit: Pawan Dhall

From the Archives, Insight Oct '21

Accessing a shared past for a shared future

By Yashita Kandhari

Yashita Kandhari on her experience of discovering and getting involved with a queer archiving initiative in her hometown Kolkata

This photograph is a daytime mid-shot that shows the author Meghna Mehra seated on a stage for a book reading session during a queer art event in Delhi. She has a book open on her lap, held with her left hand, and a microphone in her right hand. She smiles as she speaks looking at the audience, which is not visible in the photograph. The backdrop includes a rainbow pride flag; red, white and yellow balloons; a standee flex banner for the event; and a couple of tall house plants – all placed against a glass wall. Some more greenery and cars can be seen parked beyond the glass wall, outside the event venue. The event in question is ‘The QUART Project – Red Festival 2.0’ held in 2018. Photo courtesy The QUART Project

Insight, My Story Sep '21

Getting to know the asexuality spectrum

By Meghna Mehra

Meghna Mehra talks about issues around asexuality through her personal account of coming out as asexual

This lead graphic has text that says: “Queer cohabitation requires diverse support systems and services in addition to the protection that the law of the land extends to queer couples. These systems and services must address the socio-cultural barriers that the queer couples are bound to encounter. It’s unlikely that queer cohabitation can succeed just on islands of legal approval surrounded by a sea of family and social disapproval.” The text in black is superimposed on a background that shows a random spread of numerous heart shapes, some interlinked or coupled, others lying single and asunder, in different angles. The heart shapes are in a mix of steel grey, light blue and sea green colours, and form a striking backdrop to the text. Graphic credit: Pawan Dhall (graphic based on Clip Art by Microsoft Office)

Insight Aug '21

In the matter of queer relationships – court approval vs. social disapproval

By Diksha Sanyal

What is life like for Indian queer couples who win court approval of their right to cohabit? An analysis by Diksha Sanyal with inputs from Pawan Dhall

Quote: I have more than 20 years of experience as a transgender social worker in West Bengal. It was a different matter that there was no match between my work area or experience and the openings available in the job fair. But it was disappointing to realize that the vast majority of my community members would probably never even come close to availing these opportunities.

Coronavirus Diary, Insight Jun '21

Something unfair about job fairs

By Sudipa Chakraborty

Job fairs for queer aspirants in India need a rethink, says Sudipa Chakraborty

This daytime photograph shows a small cactus planted in an earthen pot placed on a window ledge at the author’s home. The cactus was planted and looked after by Lakhi Bibi, who used to work as a cook and attendant at the author’s home and passed away recently because of COVID-19 infection. The plant is symbolic of Lakhi Bibi’s character, as sturdy and toughened up as the cactus by the countless challenges life threw at her. Photo credit: Pawan Dhall

Insight, Vartanama May '21

Homecoming during a pandemic

By Pawan Dhall

Pawan Dhall shares life-changing moments from the COVID-19 pandemic. Trigger warning // Hospital descriptions, death

Insight Apr '21

Farewell, dear fairy!

By Chintan Girish Modi

Chintan Girish Modi remembers Gaurav Probir Pramanik whose actions ensured that homophobic behaviour at the leadership level in a leading Indian corporate did not go unpunished

Coronavirus Diary, Insight, Vartanama Mar '21

**‘Bengal Trans* & Queer Charter of Demands’ released**

By Chand

West Bengal’s trans* and queer communities are formulating a policy and political participation advocacy plan. Chand takes us through the first step taken recently

Quote: The webinar had participation from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. It focused on country-wise sharing of what the law is, in the respective countries, regarding transgender identity acceptance; what aspects of the law disappoint, or create obstacles for transgender communities in realizing their rights; and how have governments and other stakeholders reached out to transgender communities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Happenings, Insight, Policy Matters Feb '21

Transgender rights in South Asia: Trends, crises and opportunities

By Debjyoti Ghosh, Jia Mata, Pawan Dhall

Excerpts from the report of a recent webinar on transgender rights in South Asia organized by Partners for Law in Development and Varta Trust

This photograph shows the cover of the book ‘Launda Dancer: Anyo Hijrer Bhinna Bhuban’. On a white background, the name of the book is printed on top in a bold red and black typeface, which resembles a casual hand writing style. Below the book title there is a stylized sketch of a Launda dancer putting on make-up in preparation for a dance performance. The sketch lines are in black on a light brown background that looks like paper. The author’s name Niloy Basu is printed below the sketch to the right. All the text on the book cover is in Bengali. A yellow sticky note can be seen jutting out of the top of the book on its left side. The photograph shows the book placed on a table with a pair of spectacles and a small Shantiniketan style cloth bag lying next to it. Photo credit: Dr. Kaustav Bakshi

Insight, Printed Word Jan '21

Sex, commerce and queer rural India

By Dr. Kaustav Bakshi

Dr. Kaustav Bakshi reviews social researcher Niloy Basu’s new book ‘Launda Dancer: Anyo Hijrer Bhinna Bhuban’, an important addition to queer literature in Bengali

Creations, Insight Dec '20

Ephemera, archiving and accessibility

By Subhradeep Chatterjee

Subhradeep Chatterjee on his labour of love, the ‘Ephemeriad Project – Archiving Temporality’

Tagged Under: Insight