Tag: Coronavirus | Page 2

This photograph is a striking long shot of the early morning sky taken from the balcony in Mayuri’s home. A major part of this vertical oriented photograph consists of silver-white clouds flecking a blue sky like a carpet right up to the horizon, where a rising sun has painted the sky in hues of orange and pink. A few buildings and trees can be seen in the near distance, somewhat still in the dark, with a number of hills rising behind them in the far distance. The entire scene is one of morning calm symbolizing peace and positivity. Photo credit: Mayuri

Coronavirus Diary, Insight, People Oct '20

Lockdown takeaways: Achieving higher ground

By Rudrani Rajkumari

In this second paired narrative of queer lives during the lockdown in Assam, Shivalal Gautam tells us how two queer women negotiated multiple trials and reached a better place in...

This is an abstract artwork created with pen ink and highlighter marker pens on white art paper. It is a mosaic of several irregular shapes drawn with green ink; all the shapes fit into each other. The shapes are contained in a vertical rectangle with thick white borders. Each shape contains outline drawings of human faces or limbs drawn with deep blue ink. The drawings are overlaid by floral and other random patterns drawn in different colours, predominantly different blues and greens, pink and orange. The collection of disjoint human faces and limbs seems to symbolize the disarray that the protagonist in the accompanying article has been experiencing during the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown. Graphic credit: Anupam Hazra

Coronavirus Diary, People Oct '20

A lesser known lockdown reality

By Sudipa Chakraborty

Sudipa Chakraborty narrates the story of a gigolo in Kolkata – before and during the coronavirus lockdown

The graphic shows a circular word cloud formed with terms and expressions used in the accompanying article. For example, ‘domestic violence’, ‘marriage’, ‘coercion’, ‘family violence’, ‘eviction’, ‘threats’, ‘police’, ‘queer’ and so on. The text in the word cloud is in a light colour and stands against a background of deep blue. The circular word cloud is itself placed on a black rectangular shape with fuzzy outlines, and this rectangle is placed on a background made up of the rainbow pride flag colours. The word cloud, the rectangle and their colouration are meant to symbolize a reality check when it comes to the experiences of queer people in India even after decriminalization. Graphic credit: Pawan Dhall

Advice - Rights and Laws Sep '20

Stay home, stay safe?

By Diksha Sanyal

COVID-19 lockdowns may eventually go, but domestic violence against queer persons not quite so. Diksha Sanyal offers some legal solutions

This illustration is a comic-style sketch that shows the approximate route that the author of the accompanying article undertook to travel from Bongaon in the North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal to Baruipur in the South 24 Parganas district. It shows the starting and end points of the journey and all the key stops in between (Chandpara, Gaighata, Habra, Guma, Barasat, Patuli, and Mallikpur). The text is in Bengali. The route map has been drawn in the form of a twisting and turning roadway line. All along the line are animated sketches of the different vehicles the author boarded for the journey – an auto-rickshaw, a taxi, bus and a couple of vans. Portions of the journey that the author undertook on foot have been marked with dotted lines. The author undertook this journey on May 25, 2020 to attend Eid festivities at Baruipur with their lover and friends. The route map is not to scale. The sketch has been made with black pen ink on white art paper and then touched up with the Adobe Photoshop software. It has a cheerful creamy yellow background. Illustration credit: Ranjay Sarkar

Travel Travel Aug '20

Love for travel, travel for love

By Sudeb Suvana, Ranjay Sarkar

Sudeb Suvana overcame lockdown logjams and travelled a 100 km from Bongaon to Baruipur for Eid feasting and some more

This photograph is an evening-time long shot of the Hooghly River from the river bank on the Kolkata side. The photograph shows a large expanse of the river. The backdrop shows a golden yellow setting sun and a blue sky tinged with orange light in the horizon. The river waters seem absolutely calm and a large passenger boat with many people on board can be seen right in the line of the sun’s reflection on the water. More vessels can be seen towards the right edge of the photograph and in the distant background. The river bank on the far side is a hazy line of trees and a few industrial structures. The overall sense is one of serenity. The setting sun can be a symbol of renewal as much as a rising one. Photo credit: Pawan Dhall

Coronavirus Diary, Vartanama Jul '20

Turning seven in a world turned upside down?

By Pawan Dhall

There couldn’t have been a better time for ‘Varta’ webzine to complete seven years

Coronavirus Diary, Insight Jul '20

Trans masculine persons in Odisha respond to lockdown with resilience

By Bana, Chandan Kumar Nayak, Pradosh Dash

Health worker and community organiser Bana reports on the situation of trans masculine people in Odisha during the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown – with inputs from Chandan Kumar Nayak, Pradosh...

This graphic is a combination of a photograph and an extract from the accompanying article. The photograph to the left of the graphic shows a daytime long shot of an empty and calm Guwahati city street during the ongoing lockdown. Only a cyclist and a couple of pedestrians can be seen on the road some distance away (moving away from the photographer). The road has a verdant canopy of trees and several buildings can be seen in the background, across the road. The extract says: “In Raj’s case, his family is at least aware of his gender identity. But for Madhav, talking about his sexual orientation to his family of farmers and daily wage earners seems impossible. Just like with Raj, chances are that his family too will disown him. For now he prefers to live in peace, dreams of learning 'Bollywood dance' so that he can be a professional dancer some day, and desires to have a same-sex partner. Raj desires stability and wants him and his wife Meena to be accepted by his family. He wishes for an inclusive workplace and a regular source of income so that he can provide for Meena’s needs and focus on his own gender affirmation surgery and aftercare.” Photo credit: Indranee Kalita

Coronavirus Diary, People Jul '20

Amid pandemic of struggles, no lockdown on aspirations

By Rudrani Rajkumari

In the first of paired narratives of queer lives during the lockdown in Assam, Rudrani Rajkumari brings you the stories of two queer men

This graphic is a humorous take on some of the issues raised in the article below and uses a popular meme from the 1975 Bollywood film ‘Deewar’. It has two speech blurbs. One of them represents the coronavirus and says, “Aaj mere pass duniya bhar mein lockdown karane ki taaqat hai. Kya hai tumhare pass?” The other blurb represents the author who responds by saying, “Mere pass doston ka saath hai, Varta hai, aur ma-ida bhi hai!” The speech blurbs are presented in attractive patterns and colours on a dark background to make them stand out. Graphic credit: Pawan Dhall

Vartanama Jun '20

Never have I ever . . .

By Pawan Dhall

Pawan Dhall shares some lockdown revelations

This main graphic is a collage of sketches of three different pairs of human eyes. Each sketch, rectangular in shape, appears several times in the graphic in different sizes and places. Some of the sketches are in tones of black and white, while some have a sepia tint. Together the sketches fill up the rectangular graphic space, creating a ‘brick wall of eyes’ looking at the reader, as if to ask a question. The question could be about why families of trans persons often treat them in an inhuman way, even when the trans persons do everything in their power to take care of their families in situations such as the current coronavirus pandemic and lockdown. Why is their love not returned with equal care and affection? This issue is the main theme of the article associated with this graphic. Artwork credit: Ranjay Sarkar (pencil sketch on paper), Pawan Dhall (visualisation)

Coronavirus Diary, Insight Jun '20

Calling out ‘family values’

By Sudipa Chakraborty, Sukanta Banerjee, Joyita Mondal

Sudipa Chakraborty, Sukanta Banerjee and Joyita Mondal point out that the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown have heaped both ‘abuse’ and ‘responsibility’ on trans persons, perhaps more than ever before. With...

This illustration is a combination of a photograph of Atey, the trans boy who is the main focus of the article, and an extract from the article. The photograph shows Atey standing on a balcony or a terrace of a building not too high, with his back leaning on to a concrete railing and both arms spread out on the railing. He is dressed in a teenager’s smart casual clothes and dark glasses. He has a slight smile as he looks at the camera. The background, in some distance, shows tall trees and the hustle and bustle of pavement shops, people and traffic. The accompanying text says: “This is not the first time that Atey has stopped going to school. The same problem occurred when he was in primary school. But when some of us who are engaged in trans activism sensitized the school authorities to the realities of trans persons, they made amends and allowed Atey to wear the boys’ uniform. Unfortunately, for his higher classes, Atey had to change schools and the new school has not been willing to revisit its rules. My film highlights the contradiction between our rigidly gendered educational institutions and the space for gender plurality in Meitei traditions.” Photo credit: Borish Yumnam

Policy Matters Jun '20

For those in lockdown – with or without coronavirus

By Santa Khurai

Santa Khurai proposes continued online education for trans students who may be unable to attend school or college even when the lockdown is lifted

This photograph shows a medium long shot of leaves of a coconut tree just outside the author’s window. The photograph has been taken from inside the house. The strands of the leaves can be seen against a grey sky and they too appear more grey than green. The window has a transparent glass pane on which one can see the reflection of a orangish yellow spherical lamp hanging from the ceiling. But the reflection almost seems to peer through the leaves, and some people for a moment may confuse the reflection to be a setting sun. To the left edge of the photograph, one can see a somewhat diffused image of the strings of a hanging planter. Photo credit: Nilanjan Majumdar

Advice - Mind Body and Family Jun '20

COVID-19, quarantine and coping: A mental health perspective

By Dr. Srabasti Majumdar, Nilanjan Majumdar

Srabasti Majumdar on connecting, caring, creating and coping with the multiple crises engulfing us

This pencil sketch on paper is a symbolic representation of citizen journalism. It shows a number of citizenship documents lying on a flat surface in a small pile – the owner’s name, their photograph on the documents and other document details are blurred out. Placed right on the documents, is an ordinary gel pen with red and white patterns on its body. The pen, as a symbol of citizens taking on a journalistic role, is in sharp focus against a blurred background consisting of the citizenship documents and the surface they are lying on. Graphic credit: Ranjay Sarkar, based on a photograph by Pawan Dhall

Coronavirus Diary, Vartanama May '20

When consumers of news wield the pen (or a smart phone)

By Pawan Dhall

Varta’s citizen journalism initiative – a tool for skills building, citizen action and resources generation to deal with the coronavirus challenge

This main illustration shows the text “#Amphan #Lockdown #Coronavirus” superimposed in a large and bold typeface on a photograph taken in the aftermath of the Amphan super cyclone that hit West Bengal, Odisha and Bangladesh on May 23, 2020. The photograph shows a large tree collapsed across Broad Street in South Kolkata. The tree has brought down with it a tangle of overhead cables. A house behind the tree has its entrance almost blocked by the tree’s roots and branches. More buildings and upright trees can be seen in the background. The photograph has been given a black and white effect with a sepia tint, while the text is in deep orange colour. Illustration credit: Pawan Dhall

Coronavirus Diary, Happenings May '20

Amphan adds to social trauma caused by coronavirus for trans women

By Sukanta Banerjee

Sukanta Banerjee reports on how Amphan has aggravated the socioeconomic vulnerabilities of many trans women in West Bengal and what immediate mitigation support they need

The photograph shows a young Launda dancer from West Bengal posing for the camera somewhere in Bihar before a performance. She is seated in a graceful pose on a wooden stage, dressed in a bright mauve ‘ghagra-choli’, and smiling at the camera while forming a love sign with her hands. Her face has been blurred to maintain confidentiality. The stage is well lit and has a decorative covering. Sound and light equipment for the stage can be seen piled up behind the dancer. Another dancer can be seen twirling on the stage – only partially visible to the right side of the photograph. Photo courtesy Joyita Mondal

Coronavirus Diary, Happenings May '20

Missing in the migrant story, silenced in the ‘atmanirbharta’ clamour

By Joyita Mondal, Pawan Dhall

Joyita Mondal speaks to Pawan Dhall on the precarious situation of Launda dancers from North Bengal stranded in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh because of the lockdown

This graphic shows a multi-coloured word cloud with an oval shape. The word cloud has been created with text from or related to the article that this graphic represents. Words and expressions used in the word cloud include ableism, access, anxiety, coronavirus, counselling, COVID-19, disabilities, distress, inclusion, lockdown, loss, mental health, new normal, pandemic, quarantine, queer, relationships, services, stress, success, trigger, war-metaphors, wellbeing, WFH (which stands for work from home), win and zoomed out. The text is presented in a typeface that somewhat jars and symbolizes stress. The text slopes upwards from left to right. The word cloud is placed on a dark background that helps the lettering standout. Graphic credit: Pawan Dhall

My Story May '20

Epidemic of wins and losses over viruses (and disabilities)

By Dr. Ishan Chakraborty

Ishan Chakraborty opens up about multiple distresses as a person with disabilities during the coronavirus lockdown but wishes not to be crowned a ‘hero’

This illustration is a black and white sketch created with pen ink on art paper. It is a stylistic representation of two human faces overlapping each other, an oversized depiction of the coronavirus in full black shown below the faces, and a dove as a symbol of hope placed on the top left of the sketch adjacent to the faces. The overlapping of the faces signifies intimacy. At the same time, the mouths in both the faces seem to be covered with hands as a precaution against coronavirus infection. The background to the main sketch is filled with small flowers, leaves and abstract artistic strokes. Artwork credit: Rafiquel Haque Dowjah

Advice - Mind Body and Family Apr '20

Sexual intimacy and risk of coronavirus infection

By Dr. A. Sathish Kumar, Rafiquel Haque Dowjah

Dr. A. Sathish Kumar provides guidance on playing it safe sexually during and after the countrywide lockdown imposed to counter the coronavirus pandemic

Tagged Under: Coronavirus

Lockdown takeaways: Achieving higher ground

A lesser known lockdown reality

Stay home, stay safe?

Love for travel, travel for love

Turning seven in a world turned upside down?

Trans masculine persons in Odisha respond to lockdown with resilience

Amid pandemic of struggles, no lockdown on aspirations

Never have I ever . . .

Calling out ‘family values’

For those in lockdown – with or without coronavirus

COVID-19, quarantine and coping: A mental health perspective

When consumers of news wield the pen (or a smart phone)

Amphan adds to social trauma caused by coronavirus for trans women

Missing in the migrant story, silenced in the ‘atmanirbharta’ clamour

Epidemic of wins and losses over viruses (and disabilities)

Sexual intimacy and risk of coronavirus infection

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