Category: Insight | Page 3

This illustration is a combination of two sketches and a small piece of text extracted from the accompanying article. The sketches depict some of the scenes of arson and rioting described by the author in the article. One of them shows a church in the countryside engulfed in smoke, while the other shows a car aflame on a city road and large clouds of smoke rising from the car. Stones and shards are scattered on the road beside the car. No human beings are visible in the sketches. The backdrop in both the sketches includes outlines of the verdant hills rising into the sky that Manipur is well known for. Both the sketches are in grey scale and have been made with pen ink and water colour on art paper. The accompanying text says “An hour into the journey, my eyes blinked to let go the misery they were withholding. It finally dawned upon me that Manipur had meandered away from the one I’d known in my lifetime of around two decades.” Artwork credit: Souvik Rakshit, Pawan Dhall

Darkest homecoming

By Saki

A personal account of a survivor of the communal conflict that has engulfed Manipur – the first in a series of stories by Saki, a young student of history

This illustration is a combination of a photograph and text extracted from the accompanying article. The photograph shows a set of six colourful drawings made by children living in one of the trauma response centres for conflict-affected children and youth run by Matai Society in the Bishnupur district of Manipur. The centres are run in association with various relief camps. The drawings display a diversity of imaginations of their creators – a house and a tree beside it, a lust tree with heart signs and a child on a swing hanging from the tree, abstract representation of flowers, hearts, fish, and gift boxes, and even a ship sailing on a blue sea under a blue sky with the sun shining bright. The drawings have been created with pencil colours, crayons, and sketch pens on chart papers. The accompanying text says: “The conflict has lasted beyond four months now. During these excruciating days, many local clubs, youth groups, and NGOs have been running relief camps to host the masses that have become homeless. Most of the displaced hail from the hill-valley buffer area. Despite the goodwill and support from various government and non-government agencies and donors, these camps are struggling to make ends meet because of the sheer numbers of people affected. So many have lost their homes, many others their close ones.” Photo courtesy Matai Society

Insight, Manipur Relief Sep '23

Hope amid loss, pain and anxiety in Manipur

By Matai Society

Matai Society reports on the situation in and around the Bishnupur district of Manipur months into the communal conflict in the state and lists the urgent relief requirements

This illustration is a combination of a photograph and text extracted from the accompanying article. The photograph is of a large blackboard with a light brown wooden frame. At the lower edge of the blackboard, the wooden frame has a ledge on which some chalk and a duster are placed. Text extracted from the accompanying article has been placed on the blackboard image in a typeface to simulate the image of text written with white chalk on a blackboard. The text says: “What can discussions on sexuality in a classroom do? I believe that when we confront sexual difference in the classroom, we learn to understand and respect diversity. Queer perspectives and narratives of pride and suffering open a space not just for acceptance but critical self-understanding. Queer lives are so precarious that even a space bound by a timetable can be liberating. Being acknowledged and validated in a classroom may engender a hope to survive outside it, and sometimes, it is survival that is at stake.” Blackboard image courtesy Cliparts.co via ‘Wikimedia Commons’

Insight, Vartanama Aug '23

For that sliver of hope

By Zaid Al Baset

Making educational institutions inclusive spaces for everyone is an uphill battle, but Zaid Al Baset is not giving up yet – his forecasts on inclusion as ‘Varta’ completes 10 years

This illustration is a combination of a photograph and text extracted from the accompanying article. The photograph shows a panel discussion on kink and polyamory under way at ‘Kink Con Goa’ organized in April 2023. The photograph has been shot such that only the side profiles of the panel speakers are partially visible and all the faces have been blurred to ensure confidentiality. The speakers are looking away from the camera towards the panel moderator. The speakers are seated on a row of chairs along a wood-panelled wall inside a conference hall in a hotel. A large screen on the wall displays the topic of the panel discussion. The accompanying text, presented in an inset placed on the left bottom corner of the photograph, says: “‘Kink Con Goa’ was more than the sum of its parts. It gave Indian kinksters a sense of community beyond geographical borders. It fulfilled a need that had been growing for so long yet nobody was able to articulate what it was – a need to belong. We can be part of a community that is like us, we are not related by blood but in our thoughts, views and hearts.” Photo courtesy Nemo

Insight, My Story Jul '23

Self-esteem, freedom and kink

By Tiara Girl

The experience of ‘Kink Con Goa’, India’s first national kink convention, was transformational, says Tiara Girl

This graphic is a combination of a photograph and text extracted from the accompanying article. The photograph shows a scene from a Woolworths outlet in Johannesburg. Two mannequins clad in t-shirts, jeans and shoes stand next to rows of t-shirts and other clothes. One of the mannequins stands on a pedestal, with a long rainbow pride flag hanging behind it, and a poster in the forefront that says: “Be an ally – celebrating Pride 2023”. The extract of text says: “Pride isn’t about stating that we’re good enough to be accepted a month in a year. Pride is about making sure we’re accepted each and every day all through the year. Corporates play a big role in making that happen. However, when we will see performative allyship, we will call you out and remind you exactly how we contribute to your market. Because not only does our money matter – we matter too.” Photo credit: Debjyoti Ghosh

Insight, Vartanama Jun '23

Show us what pride is really all about

By Debjyoti Ghosh

Debjyoti Ghosh calls upon corporates to demonstrate stronger allyship that transcends anti-queer social and political pressures

This illustration shows a close-range photograph of a smiling and bespectacled Shampa Sengupta looking at the camera. She is seated on a wooden chair, with a wall behind her. The photograph is in black and white and seems to have been taken outdoors during the daytime. Text accompanying the photograph says: “If we’re talking about a wider network of support, friends have a huge role to play. For instance, I know some children with disabilities who went to mainstream schools. There they received a lot of support from their friends. Mainstream schools are so exclusionary and it’s hard to manage on your own. That’s where non-disabled persons as friends can step in and help . . . Wheeling someone with a disability around the school campus, taking notes for them, helping them with homework and studies, just being around in general. Going out for movies, other recreational activities, things like that. Things that are not necessities in the strictest sense but are important nonetheless.” Photo courtesy Shampa Sengupta

Insight May '23

On disability, friendship and caregiving

By Diksha Sanyal

Diksha Sanyal examines the role of friendship in caregiving for persons with disabilities, and how far the law recognizes this role

This illustration is a combination of a graphic and an extract from the accompanying article on marriage equality in India. The graphic shows a floral photo frame (orange flowers interspersed with green leaves), but the space for the photo is empty. This is symbolic of the assertion in the article that everyone should be free to fill up this space in the way they find it meaningful – the photo in the frame need not be one of marriage. The extract from the article says: “Of all the petitions on marriage equality being heard by the Supreme Court, the one that stands out is Rituparna Borah & Others Vs. Union of India, which has been filed by four queer-feminist activists and three anonymized couples. The prayers in it go beyond the legal recognition of same sex / same gender marriages. It argues that rather than just rule on the constitutional validity of marriage equality, the court should also grapple with the issue of family diversity as well as protect queer people who face violence from natal families, those who may not want to get married but should be entitled to other rights traditionally emanating from marriage, and those who want to get married, but do not have support from their families.” Graphic credit: OpenClipart on ‘Wikimedia Commons’

Insight, Policy Matters Apr '23

Marriage equality – petitions, pushback and politics

By Namrata, Shreyashi

Namrata and Shreyashi trace the developments in the marriage equality litigation and bring to light issues and claims from queer activists that go beyond marriage equality

Quote: The Internet today is scattered with advice on the importance of friendships. A recent Bumble survey found that many more Indians seek platonic friendships today. Within the terrain of social and legal recognition, proposals have been placed before the Indian State to recognize friendships and other significant relationships outside the natal family in the form of a ‘legal representative’. Something has shifted in the mythological place romance holds in our lives. And while we may not have stopped worshipping at its altar, we are slowly coming to terms with the fact that it may not be the only worthwhile way of pursuing intimacy in the 21st century.

Insight Mar '23

Re-imagining intimacy, re-configuring kinship: Some notes on friendship

By Diksha Sanyal

Diksha Sanyal writes about intimacies and relationships beyond romance in the current Indian context, and invites you to share your thoughts – this is the first in a series of...

This photograph shows a scene from a march held in Kolkata in 2013 to protest against the violence faced by women and queer communities in India. The photograph is an evening-time close-up shot of a poster held up by a participant in the march. The poster, in large blue and red lettering on a yellow background, simply says “Not labelled”. The poster seems to indicate at the silence around the existence of queer people in society and their experience of violence. The participant holding the poster is not visible in the photograph. Only their hands and arms holding the poster are visible. Glimpses of several other people walking in close vicinity of the participant can also be seen. Photo credit: Kaushik Gupta

Commentary, Insight Jan '23

Being queer – the key or the cage?

By Tanya Kole, Kaushik Gupta

Tanya Kole elaborates on the ‘queer conundrum’ as it relates to day-to-day life

The graphic is a symbolic amalgamation of the key issues discussed in the accompanying article. Upfront in the graphic is a flag created for the global mental health movement by The Pete Foundation, Louisville, USA in 2020 in collaboration with mental health organizations / care providers, artists, designers, advocates, and community members in the US and elsewhere. The graphic, a horizontal rectangle, shows arcs of different shades of green and yellow radiating outwards from the lower left corner of the rectangle. It begins with a dark shade of green, followed by lighter ones and finally a yellow band. Green is the colour for mental health awareness, and forms the base of the flag. The design reflects a shift from dark to lighter colours, representing the various states of our emotional or psychological life, and the collective efforts to bring the topic of mental health out of the darkness and into the light. In the background to this flag is the rainbow flag, a popular symbol adopted by the queer rights movements worldwide. The mental health movement flag is superimposed on the rainbow flag such that the second flag provides only a narrow but distinct rainbow-coloured border to the first flag. Overall, the graphic attempts to represent the issue of queer affirmative therapy or queer affirmative counselling practices. Images for both flags sourced from Wikimedia Commons

Insight Dec '22

Well-being through a queer affirmative lens (part 2)

By Dr. Srabasti Majumdar

Srabasti Majumdar explains how queer affirmative therapy takes into account the inter-dependence between mind and body in ensuring well-being for queer people

The graphic shows a flag created for the global mental health movement by The Pete Foundation, Louisville, USA in 2020 in collaboration with several mental health organizations / care providers, artists, designers, advocates, and community members in the US and elsewhere. The graphic, a horizontal rectangle, shows arcs of different shades of green and yellow radiating outwards from the lower left corner of the rectangle. It begins with a dark shade of green, followed by lighter ones and finally a yellow band. Green is the colour for mental health awareness, and forms the base of the flag. The design reflects a shift from dark to lighter colours, representing the various states of our emotional or psychological life, and the collective efforts to bring the topic of mental health out of the darkness and into the light. Image sourced from Wikimedia Commons

Insight Nov '22

Well-being through a queer affirmative lens (part 1)

By Dr. Srabasti Majumdar

Srabasti Majumdar dwells on what queer affirmative therapy means and its significance for the well-being of queer people

Quote: The right to be recognized in one’s own name, the right to one’s bodily autonomy, the right to be a citizen in one’s own gender identity are basic rights in any functioning democracy. Despite the rich, albeit mired, history of transgender identities, and their inclusion and exclusion, in the Indian subcontinent, today, we are dealing with an issue that can make or break people. It can give transgender people the freedom to fly and claim each and every right possible in their own identity, or else it can entwine their lives into a bureaucratic nightmare.

Insight, Vartanama Oct '22

Trans identities lost in a bureaucratic haze

By Debjyoti Ghosh

Why does West Bengal have such a poor rate of transgender identity certification? Debjyoti Ghosh raises pertinent questions

Insight, Policy Matters Sep '22

Challenges in meeting queer community needs during the COVID-19 pandemic

By Susanta Pramanik, Jia Mata, Pawan Dhall

Excerpts from an analysis of the role played by community based organizations in working with queer people in India during the COVID-19 crisis and the challenges faced by the organizations