Tag: Friendship | Varta Trust

This image consists of a horizontally rectangular photograph and text extracted from the accompanying article. The photograph is placed in the upper half of the image and the text in the lower half. The photograph shows a number of heart-shaped paper cutouts, deep red in colour, stringed in a series on a thick thread of the same colour. The thread stretches across the photograph against a dark grey background. The cutouts are of different sizes. Their colour makes for a striking contrast against the background. The text says: “It's been a while since I left the NGO, but I still have the people who gave me a space and taught me it’s okay to seek help. It isn’t always pretty, not always sunshine and rainbows, and sometimes it gets ugly and tangled. At the end though, the feeling of belonging to that tangle of hearts – that’s my queer joy. When surviving becomes difficult, this joy helps me breathe, it helps me live my politics.” Photo credit: Jonny Gios on Unsplash

My Story, Vartanama Jan '26

When I stopped surviving alone

By Sangeetha Elsa

Sangeetha Elsa travelled miles but found friendship and queer joy nearer home in a tangle of hearts

This horizontally rectangular illustration with rounded edges consists of text extracted from the accompanying article and a few picnicking symbols. The text says: “The beauty of the serving arrangements lay in their simplicity and togetherness. In the earliest days, meals were served on banana or sal leaves, with drinks in clay cups cool to the touch. Later, glass plates and steel tumblers took over. In smaller house feasts, everyone carried their own plates, glasses, and serving spoons, pooling resources naturally and without fuss. Sadly, this gave way to plastic-lined cups and disposable plates, an intrusion accepted too casually, even while reusable options were still available.” The picnicking symbols include a butterfly placed in the top left corner of the illustration; and a picnic hamper, a bunch of leaves, and a sandwich placed below the text, along the lower edge of the illustration. The text is in black on a light green background, and the illustration has a sky blue outline. Symbols sourced from www.emojicombos.com/picnicking

Insight, Thought for Food Dec '25

Picnics and community feasts – nostalgia, tradition and the lost art of reuse

By Souvik Ghosh

Picnics of yore were hearty affairs while being inherently kind to the environment, argues Souvik Ghosh

This is a close-up shot of a feedback board put up at the ‘Rongdhonu Mela’, an inclusive queer-trans and disabled flea market and festival organized at Taltala Ground, Kolkata by Sappho for Equality on November 22-23, 2025. On a large white chart paper pasted on a wooden wall structure, people attending the festival have written appreciative comments or drawn rainbows and flowers as a symbol of their This is a close-up shot of a feedback board put up at the ‘Rongdhonu Mela’, an inclusive queer-trans and disabled flea market and festival organized at Taltala Ground, Kolkata by Sappho for Equality on November 22-23, 2025. On a large white chart paper pasted on a wooden wall structure, people attending the festival have written appreciative comments or drawn rainbows and flowers as a symbol of their appreciation. The feedback board itself looks like a colourful installation at the festival. The comments include statements like “This carnival is so fun”, “Wanna come back next year”, and “Thank you for giving us wings”. The feedback provides a glimpse of sorts into what queer worldmaking looks like. Photo courtesy Sappho for Equality and Nilanjan Majumdar

Commentary Nov '25

On queer self-determination (part 4)

By Meera, Aritra C.

Mental health professionals Meera Dhebar and Aritra C. conclude their conversation on queer worldmaking across time periods and cultures

Poetry, Vartanama Oct '25

Oxbow lake

By Sanjib Basu

Sanjib Basu feels an intimate identification with a unique geographical formation

Quote: What then are our expectations from life? I mean, apart from wanting Section 377, IPC to be struck off; apart from wanting recognition from our ‘straight’ fellow humans; apart from rights, space and privacy . . . What is it that each of our personal selves yearns for? Can we classify our desires into two broad divisions of love and sex? Does social sanction hold a lot of importance for us?

From the Archives, Vartanama Jul '25

Random thoughts 30 something years ago

By Pawan Dhall

On ‘Varta’ webzine’s 12th birthday, Pawan Dhall shares excerpts from an editorial published in the webzine’s predecessor ‘Pravartak’ in 1995

This illustration is a combination of a photograph and text extracted from the accompanying article. The photograph shows a scene from the dialogue ‘Queer Worldmaking in the Face of Conversion Therapy’ that took place at Kalinath Angan, Kolkata on January 18, 2025. Moderator Meghjit Sengupta (centre) and panellist Aritra C. (to Meghjit’s left) look on as panellist Meera Dhebar makes a point during the dialogue. Meera refers to a file on her laptop as she speaks. The laptop is kept on a centre table placed close to the three speakers. A Progress Pride Flag can be seen mounted on the wall behind the speakers. A phone mounted on a tripod stand for recording the dialogue is placed a couple of feet from the speakers. The scene captured in the photograph can also be seen on the mobile phone screen. The accompanying text says: “Because sometimes in this very cis-heteronormative and heteropatriarchal world steeped in discourses of othering, a few moments of solace in being seen can provide enough joy to carry us through the moments of isolation and disconnection.” Photo credit: Pawan Dhall

Commentary Jun '25

On queer self-determination (part 1)

By Meera, Aritra C.

An e-conversation series between mental health professionals Meera Dhebar and Aritra C. on queer worldmaking across time periods and cultures

This image shows a still from the award-winning documentary film ‘Amma’s Pride’ directed by Shiva Krish. In the image, Srija, the main protagonist of the film is seen smiling and talking on her mobile phone, while Valli, her mother, looks on standing next to her also smiling brightly. Mother and daughter are both inside their house, and in the background can be seen sundry household objects placed on shelves or hanging on walls. The background objects have been slightly blurred to enhance the focus on Srija and Valli. Image courtesy Shiva Krish

Happenings, Vartanama May '25

Pursuing resilience, embracing hope

By Meghjit Sengupta, Pawan Dhall

Meghjit Sengupta reflects on an event centred around award-winning documentary ‘Amma’s Pride’, the story of transgender woman Srija whose marriage to Arunkumar, a cisgender man, in 2019 set a legal...

This photograph shows a close-up shot of some of the books mentioned by the author in the accompanying article. One lot of five books are kept in a not-so-neat vertical pile on the author’s study table. These include T. J. Klune’s ‘In the Lives of Puppets’, ‘The House in the Cerulean Sea’ and ‘Somewhere Beyond the Sea’, Aiden Thomas’ ‘Cemetery Boys’, and Mason Deaver’s ‘Wish You All the Best’ right on top of the pile. Lex Croucher’s ‘Gwen & Art Are Not in Love’ is placed reclining on the pile on the right- hand side. To the pile’s left is the cover page of Andrew Joseph White’s ‘Hell Followed with Us’ visible on a Kindle e-reader. An open laptop, pen stand, and photo frame can be seen crowding the same study table as the books. In the background are two almirahs and a door ajar. Photo credit: Mihir Seth

Printed Word, Vartanama Jan '25

Notes on hoping taken from teenage queer fiction

By Mihir Seth

Mihir Seth finds the strength to go on in queer stories of trials, tribulations and hope

Happenings, Vartanama Jun '24

Celebrating the magic of friendship

By Pritha Bhattacharya, Sambrita Chakraborty

Pritha Bhattacharya and Sambrita Chakraborty report on an art exhibition to mark the 25th anniversary of ‘Friendship Walk ‘99’, India’s first rainbow pride walk held in Kolkata on July 2,...

Vartanama May '24

Celebrating 25 years of friendship, pride and diversity

By 'Friendship Walk 25th Anniversary' organizing team

Extracts from a pamphlet for the 25th anniversary observations of ‘Friendship Walk ‘99’ to be held in Kolkata and other places in West Bengal primarily in July 2024

This is a close-up daytime photograph of the author Santa Khurai posing for the camera with her companion John Nongmaithem. The author is seated on a chair not visible in the photo and is gazing up at John who is standing behind her and looking back at her. With his left hand, he is caressing the strands of the author’s hair. Santa is wearing a red and white dress, has nude makeup on and kohl-lined eyes. John is dressed in a black shirt with the collars drawn up and a black cap. A white vest is visible behind the shirt partially open at the top. He has dark sunglasses hanging casually from the shirt parting. He has a small black ‘tilak’ on his forehead. Both persons are gazing at each other lovingly. The leaves of a neem tree and the blue sky form the backdrop of the photograph, which has been shot on the terrace of the author’s home. Photo credit: Jessia Takhelmayum

Vartanama Apr '24

Sweet surrender

By Santa Khurai

Santa Khurai writes about a different kind of love story blossoming in the middle of sociopolitical conflict in Manipur

This illustration is a combination of a photograph and text extracted from the accompanying article. The photograph shows a scene from the ‘20th Kolkata Rainbow Pride Walk’ held on December 17, 2023. It shows a large number of pride walk participants holding up banners and posters in English and Bengali. Two of the posters have slogans that convey the following message – so what if they are trans or gay, they are our children. In the backdrop, behind the crowd of participants, several large trees and a blue sky can be seen. In the text extract, the author says: “Sunday’s pride walk (on December 17, 2023) reminded me of my first pride experience all the way back in 1995. I was again overwhelmed and emotional. This time though I was with thousands of brown queers – surrounded by warmth, love and family. Our proclamation ‘Love is Love’ truly signifies what we know to do for ourselves, it is what we lead with, what drives us to build our relationships and find community.” Photo credit: Meera

From the Archives, Travel Travel Mar '24

The power of a letter

By Meera

What happens when the messenger follows in the footsteps of their message? Meera talks about her first Kolkata visit and first South Asian pride walk experience in 2023

This illustration is a combination of an artwork created with pen ink and water colour, and text extracted from the accompanying article. The artwork shows the close-up of a young man sitting on one edge of a small brown wooden boat and talking on his mobile phone, holding it against his right ear. The boat is floating in the middle of a deep blue lake, surrounded by mountains and trees. The sky above the mountains is blue-grey. While visually striking, the scene also strikes a somber note. The accompanying text says: “My Aunt Rosemary insisted that I call her so that she could understand what I needed, but I had to carefully plan for the simple act of making a phone call. I couldn’t afford to be heard speaking in Mizo by the neighbours in Thanga, and I had to row out into the lake and make the call from open water where I’d be safe. I shared my plight with my aunt and she reminded me that she’d asked me to live in Mizoram earlier as well.” Artwork credit: Souvik Rakshit

Insight, Manipur Relief Dec '23

Fractured geographies and minds

By Saki

Saki, a young student of history, continues his account of the communal conflict in Manipur and the conflict in his mind when he was compelled to leave the state

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

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...

Insight Jun '19

‘Bees saal baad . . .’

By 'Friendship Walk 20th Anniversary' organizing team

Text from pamphlet for 20th anniversary observations of ‘Friendship Walk ‘99’

Tagged Under: Friendship