Tag: Mental Health | Page 2

This illustration is a combination of a vertically oriented photograph and text extracted from the accompanying article. The photograph shows an evening time long-shot of the city of Aizawl spread across a hillside. The hillside is bedecked with the lights from the houses appearing like jewels. The cloudy sky above the city is filled with shades of violet and blue as the distant horizon is lit up with the last of the sunlight. The entire scene is breathtaking even as it is poignant. The accompanying text says: “I finally saved up a good sum and planned to return to Manipur directly from Aizawl. There was so much heartbreak as I looked back at my stay in Mizoram – there had been much beauty amid the chaos. Before I left, I offered a small sum of money to my Kuki neighbours. They too were from Imphal and their mother was battling cancer. The old woman thanked me and said, ‘God be with you till we meet again.’ This moment made everything that I’d been through worth it for I was filled with purpose and love.” Photo credit: Saki

Homecoming again, for healing

By Saki

Saki concludes his account of the communal conflict in Manipur – he returns home after four life-changing months to engage in work that heals others and him

Quote: It was said at the conference that sexual behaviour is ‘down there’, while sexual identity is ‘up there’. But the general perception seems to be: Never mind how much grey matter’s up there, down there it had better be big. Perhaps saying so is being unnecessarily pessimistic. Even so, in many minds the size fetish evokes a very real fear – a fear of inadequacy, of being unattractive, of being unwanted. This fear can only hinder the progress towards a healthier existence.

From the Archives, Vartanama Jan '24

Better fallible than supreme

By Pawan Dhall

There’s still time to make New Year resolutions that don’t celebrate excess, big size or Pyrrhic standards of perfection, says Pawan Dhall

Quote: Rape is a non-consensual act. There is no iota of enjoyment in the act. When one is asked to ‘enjoy’ rape in case of its inevitability, the ground on which the definition of rape stands, collapses. It no longer remains rape. It becomes an act of sexual intimacy where the parties involved feel safe and respected, and work with each other in harmony to derive and provide pleasure from the act and from each other. None of these conditions hold true for rape.

Commentary Jan '24

Stop trivializing rape

By Dr. Sankalpa Satapathy

Dr. Sankalpa Satapathy questions regressive social attitudes around sexual assault that persist even in ‘progressive circles’

This photograph shows a close-up daytime shot of dazzling white flowers growing on a slender stalk on the forest floor. The plant is surrounded with diverse green foliage growing on the wet soil. The whiteness of the flowers clearly stands out against the green and brown of the surroundings. The photograph was taken at the Karlapat Sanctuary Range near Bhawanipatna in Odisha in 2017. Photo credit: Pawan Dhall

Vartanama Dec '23

My anger narrative is white hot

By Pawan Dhall

Coming to terms with your anger can be a creative approach to welcoming the New Year, says Pawan Dhall

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 is an early evening mid-range shot of around 14 trans masculine and other queer persons associated with the Samarth trans collective of Odisha standing behind a large rainbow pride flag during the ‘Puri Rainbow Pride Walk’ held on June 13, 2023. The flag is held at chest level across several of the walkers. Some of them are also holding posters with Odia and English text or small rainbow pride flags. They are all smiles as they look at the camera, and exude happiness. A number of other walk participants can be seen behind them. In the background, to the left, are several buildings, while to the right are some more buildings, a couple of palm trees, and a handful of open sky. Photo courtesy SAATHII

Vartanama Nov '23

Dreams and demands

By Bana, Pawan Dhall

Trans masculine individuals in Odisha are speaking up louder about their aspirations for the future – Bana shares a wish list with ‘Varta’ – hopefully most of it will come...

This photograph is an example of fine-art photography, consisting of several intersecting frames within an overall frame created by the unpainted red-brown brick walls of a poor household, lit up only with daylight from outside. To the left of the photograph is a woman dressed in a patterned cotton saree, worn in a style common in Bengal, wearing ‘shankha-pola’ in her hands, and leaning against a wall, which seems to be at the entrance of her house. She is looking down at the camera as the photographer seems to be seated on the floor. Her face is shrouded in half-light and she seems to have a grim demeanour. A younger person is seated on the floor next to her holding up a vertically rectangular frame that seems to be made of glass. The person is not visible, only a part of their head and hands holding up the frame are visible in the photograph. The frame shows the portion of an open window with an ornate grill design. Greenery is visible outside the window. Inside, just below the window and next to an unpainted brick wall, food is cooking in a pan placed on a mud ‘chulha’. A ladle is placed in the pan. Next to the ‘chulha’ seems to be a pile of twigs and wood shavings, possibly for use in the ‘chulha’. An interesting interplay of light, shadow and subdued colours dominates the photograph. Photo credit: Debalina

Insight, Policy Matters Nov '23

Domestic violence and disabled women – reflections from the field

By Dr. Nandini Ghosh

Domestic violence and lack of access to legal redress still pose serious challenges to the wellbeing of disabled women in India, says Dr. Nandini Ghosh

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

Insight, Manipur Relief Oct '23

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 photograph shows the author Amrita Sarkar conducting a sensitization session on transgender health with the staff of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi earlier this year. In a conference hall lit brightly with ceiling lights, around 30 AIIMS staff members of different genders are seated in two columns. The author is standing in the aisle between the two columns, and appears to be answering the question of one of the staff members. In the background, the main entrance to the conference room, two curtained windows, and a side door are visible. A camera fixed on a tripod stand is also visible, close to the main entrance. Photo courtesy AIIMS

My Story Oct '23

How my tomorrow should look like

By Amrita Sarkar

A decade into the future, Amrita Sarkar wants the trans and queer movements to focus their energies on mental health and geriatric concerns

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, a daytime selfie shot, shows the author Mahua Seth with her son Mihir Seth on a holiday trip. Mother and son, both bespectacled, are all smiles as they look into the camera. Behind them is a sweeping expanse of mountains marked with patches of vegetation, reflecting the bright sunlight. The sky above is a hazy blue marked with cotton white clouds. The accompanying text says: “It became clear to me that we need to build more awareness across every section of society. The Nigerian Igbo communities got it right when they said “It takes a village to raise a child.” We need to work with the parents, of course, but also the uncles, aunts, teachers, coaches, colleagues and neighbours. Photo credit: Mahua Seth

My Story Aug '23

Building a better future with safe spaces, empathy and hugs

By Mahua Seth

As ‘Varta’ webzine turns 10, Mahua Seth imagines a more caring and affirming future, not just for queer people but also their parents and families

Quote: Somewhere amid all these positives, I also expect queer people with disabilities to be more visible, do well in life, and not be silenced in both queer and disability communities. Homophobic, transphobic and ableist people will still be around, but they may well be pushed to the fringes. A decade hence we may sit down and compare the predictions made by various authors on the pages of Varta and calculate the percentage of those that have come true.

My Story Aug '23

Cautious predictions for 2033 CE

By Rajib Chakrabarti

On ‘Varta’ webzine completing 10 years, Rajib Chakrabarti writes about the changes he expects to see for queer people and persons with disabilities a decade from now

Vartanama Jul '23

Tensions of the past and future

By Pawan Dhall

An imperfect digest of ‘Varta’ webzine’s journey through a decade of climaxes, anti-climaxes, and explorations for a social G-spot

This is a cheerful daytime mid-shot of a green canopy of trees taken from below. The photograph shows a variety of foliage in layers, extending from clumps of relatively larger leaves in the foreground to a network of trunks, branches, twigs, and smaller and ornate leaves higher up. Different shades of green lend a touch of drama to the scene. The sky peers through the gaps in the canopy. Photo credit: Pawan Dhall

Vartanama May '23

Me and myself

By Pawan Dhall

Pawan Dhall still can’t shell out two-minute wisdoms on Instagram Reels. Here’s a two-minute essay instead on clicking an inner selfie

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

Tagged Under: Mental Health

Homecoming again, for healing

Better fallible than supreme

Stop trivializing rape

My anger narrative is white hot

Fractured geographies and minds

Dreams and demands

Domestic violence and disabled women – reflections from the field

Darkest homecoming

How my tomorrow should look like

Hope amid loss, pain and anxiety in Manipur

Building a better future with safe spaces, empathy and hugs

Cautious predictions for 2033 CE

Tensions of the past and future

Me and myself

On disability, friendship and caregiving

Marriage equality – petitions, pushback and politics

Queer Friendly Resources

Support Us

Subscribe

USEFUL LINKS

WEBSITE ARCHIVES

CONTACT US