Trapped in transit

Clickhappy! Jun '16
By Vahista Dastoor

“The photographer is an armed version of the solitary walker reconnoitering, stalking, cruising the urban inferno, the voyeuristic stroller who discovers the city as a landscape of voluptuous extremes” – Susan Sontag, 1977 

Trapped in transit, Vahista Dastoor spends 13 hours in Bangkok airport – anonymous and unseen, honing her street photography skills.

‘Man-ghat’ ahead! Cover your eyes

Clickhappy! May '16
Suchandra Das was candid behind the camera at Dashashwamedh Ghat in Varanasi – perhaps to compensate for the shame felt by the women, or compliment the candidness among the men

Star quest: Fighter with a heart

Clickhappy! Star Quest, Apr '16
By Kaustav Manna

Star of the month: Anurag Maitrayee at the 'Kolkata Rainbow
Pride Walk 2011'. All photo credits: Nilanjan Majumdar

Star Quest is a series of photo-stories of individuals who may not be public figures like politicians, artistes, social activists or media persons, but have in their own way contributed to social equity and empowerment around gender, sexuality and related issues.

The contribution of the ‘stars’ we zoom in on may be in an intimate arena – among friends and neighbours, their local community, a village or slum school, their own work place and so on. It may not have attracted any media attention, yet the importance of their efforts cannot be underscored enough. Varta is happy to bring to light such hidden ‘stars’ and focus on endeavours that generate hope for a better present and future.

Maid in India

Clickhappy! Apr '16
Suchandra Das narrates the story of Akka, a house maid in Chennai

This is the story of a house maid. I call her Akka, which means didi or elder sister in Tamil. I asked her name but she just smiled and said "Akka okay". She travels 28 kilometres everyday from Poonamallee to my residence in Thiruvanmiyur. She was my ‘rescuer’ when I shifted from Kolkata to Chennai in December 2015. She works in 15 houses in my colony. We don’t understand each other’s language but we still communicate.

Star quest: Fire and hope

Clickhappy! Star Quest, Mar '16

By Pawan Dhall

Star of the month: Jacinta Kerketta on a visit to St. Augustine's
College, Manoharpur where she completed her intermediate
studies (all photographs courtesy Jacinta Kerketta)

The third (October 2013) and fourth (November 2013) issues of Varta carried a column called Star Quest, a series of photo-stories of individuals who may not be public figures like politicians, artistes, social activists or media persons, but have in their own way contributed to social equity and empowerment around gender, sexuality and related issues. For a variety of reasons, including priority given to other interview and photography based columns, Star Quest was discontinued. With the October 2015 issue of Varta, we revived the column to continue sharing innumerable untold stories twinkling with inspiration!

The contribution of the ‘stars’ we zoom in on may be in an intimate arena – among friends and neighbours, their local community, a village or slum school, their own work place and so on. It may not have attracted any media attention, yet the importance of their efforts cannot be underscored enough. Varta is happy to bring to light such hidden ‘stars’ and focus on endeavours that generate hope for a better present and future.

Star quest: Gulabo's story

Clickhappy! Star Quest, Feb '16
By Aakash

Star of the month: Gulabo
(all photographs courtesy
Gulabo and Aakash)

The third (October 2013) and fourth (November 2013) issues of Varta carried a column called Star Quest, a series of photo-stories of individuals who may not be public figures like politicians, artistes, social activists or media persons, but have in their own way contributed to social equity and empowerment around gender, sexuality and related issues. For a variety of reasons, including priority given to other interview and photography based columns, Star Quest was discontinued. With the October 2015 issue of Varta, we revived the column to continue sharing innumerable untold stories twinkling with inspiration!

The contribution of the ‘stars’ we zoom in on may be in an intimate arena – among friends and neighbours, their local community, a village or slum school, their own work place and so on. It may not have attracted any media attention, yet the importance of their efforts cannot be underscored enough. Varta is happy to bring to light such hidden ‘stars’ and focus on endeavours that generate hope for a better present and future.

Varta welcomes its readers to contribute to Star Quest by sending information about individuals living anywhere in India who can be portrayed in the column. Please send a brief description of the individual and their work in about 100 words to vartablog@gmail.com, and also include three to five high quality photographs of the individual depicting their day-to-day life.

Please note that no individual will be portrayed in this column through text or photographs till the Varta team has interacted with them and obtained their informed consent. Therefore it is vital that readers also obtain the consent of the individuals concerned before sending information about them to Varta.

Common cause, kiss of freedom in Kolkata pride!

Insight, Clickhappy! Dec '15
By Prosenjit Pal and Pawan Dhall

Photo credits: Prosenjit Pal, unless mentioned otherwise

The ‘14th Kolkata Rainbow Pride Walk’ on December 13, 2015 was many things for many people – an expression of not just queer pride but also solidarity with diverse social causes. Demanding intolerance for social exclusion of any kind, it broke new ground with participation by many youth and student groups and a ‘Hok Chumban’ / ‘Kiss of Love’ campaign at the end to protest moral policing anywhere and everywhere. While the walk route took Pawan Dhall down memory lane to 1999 (the year of the ‘1st Kolkata Rainbow Pride Walk’), Prosenjit Pal celebrated his very first queer pride walk in his home town with camera in hand.

Star quest: Bisexual, bipolar and happy

Clickhappy! Star Quest, Nov '15

By Kaustav Manna

Star of the month: Sudeshna Basak aka Rupsha
(all photographs provided by Rupsha) 

The third (October 2013) and fourth (November 2013) issues of Varta carried a column called Star Quest, a series of photo-stories of individuals who may not be public figures like politicians, artistes, social activists or media persons, but have in their own way contributed to social equity and empowerment around gender, sexuality and related issues. For a variety of reasons, including priority given to other interview and photography based columns, Star Quest was discontinued. With the previous (October 2015) issue of Varta, we revived the column to continue sharing innumerable untold stories twinkling with inspiration!

The contribution of the ‘stars’ we zoom in on may be in an intimate arena – among friends and neighbours, their local community, a village or slum school, their own work place and so on. It may not have attracted any media attention, yet the importance of their efforts cannot be underscored enough. Varta is happy to bring to light such hidden ‘stars’ and focus on endeavours that generate hope for a better present and future.

Star quest: Straight from a queer positive heart!

Clickhappy! Star Quest, Oct '15

By Kaustav Manna

Star of the month: Arunabha Hazra (all
photographs provided by Arunabha
unless otherwise mentioned)

The third (October 2013) and fourth (November 2013) issues of Varta carried a column called Star Quest, a series of photo-stories of individuals who may not be public figures like politicians, artistes, social activists or media persons, but have in their own way contributed to social equity and empowerment around gender, sexuality and related issues. For a variety of reasons, including priority given to other interview and photography based columns, Star Quest was discontinued. With this issue of Varta, we seek to revive the column and continue sharing innumerable untold stories twinkling with inspiration!

The contribution of the ‘stars’ we zoom in on may be in an intimate arena – among friends and neighbours, their local community, a village or slum school, their own work place and so on. It may not have attracted any media attention, yet the importance of their efforts cannot be underscored enough. Varta is happy to bring to light such hidden ‘stars’ and focus on endeavours that generate hope for a better present and future.

Pride in Chandannagar

Clickhappy! Jul '15

Prosenjit Pal photo-recorded his pride walk debut at Chandannagar’s third rainbow pride parade on June 26, 2015

At the starting point on Strand Road, Chandannagar

Bhadu calling

Clickhappy! May '15
Pawan Dhall files a photo-report on a visit to Birbhum district in West Bengal to record a film-making initiative on Bhadu Devi. The film, much like the goddess herself, has intrinsic links to many aspirations for personal fulfillment and a better life

Uchpur village is about an hour’s drive from Sainthia town,
nearest railhead after a four-hour journey from Kolkata.
Photo credit: Pawan Dhall

The Bhadu festival and folk art form of Birbhum and neighbouring districts in West Bengal has its origins in the story of Bhadravati, a princess who lived sometime in mid 19th century Bengal. According to one version of folklore around her, she gets separated from her lover because of the evil designs of a jealous king. Her search for her lover proves fruitless and she commits suicide. Bhadravati or Bhadu Devi is worshipped through songs, dance, fairs and cultural programmes in the month of Bhadra (mid August to mid September). On the last day, her idol is immersed in a river. Songs, mainly on fulfillment of wishes for a happy marriage or birth of children, form the main attraction of the festival in which both professional artist groups and amateurs take part.

‘North East Pride 2015’

Clickhappy! Mar '15
A photo-report by Pawan Dhall

Guwahati witnessed a colourful and energetic ‘North East Pride 2015’ on February 15, 2015, which attracted around 200 participants from all north-eastern states and other parts of India. Commencing at Dighalipukuri, the second queer pride walk hosted by the city in two years merrily made its way to the end point at Guwahati Club Rotary Point. Apart from the usual revelry of music, dance, slogans, rainbow flags and banners that mark most pride walks, poetry reading sessions, display of posters with sketches, and rousing speeches by human rights activists calling for an end to gender injustice of all kinds made the event – to quote from the event’s invitational material – very much a “people’s pride”.

Trans queens of Manipur

Clickhappy! Jan '15
Manipur’s annual transgender beauty contest continues to pack a punch and offer some good music and dazzling photo opportunities! Pawan Dhall captures some

As in the previous edition, the ‘4th Miss Trans Queen Contest North East India 2014’
held at the Bheigyachandra Open Air Theatre in Imphal on December 16, 2014
was high on the anti-Section 377 protest element

Friendship, love, warmth – totally natural!

Clickhappy! Dec '14

Arunabha Hazra shoots some fun moments at the ‘Rainbow Carnival 2014’ at Rabindra Sadan, Kolkata on December 7, 2014 – the third consecutive year the carnival was organized

The carnival opens. All photo credits: Arunabha Hazra

Queer in Chhath Puja

Clickhappy! Nov '14

Madhuja Nandi records Kolkata Rista’s campaign against gender-based violence during Chhath Puja celebrations in Kolkata on October 29-30, 2014

Film screening during Kolkata Rista’s ‘Zero Tolerance Campaign on Rape and Gender
Discrimination’ at Kadapara, near Swabhumi in Central Kolkata. A community-based
organization of trans women and other queer people, Kolkata Rista has been
organizing public sensitization events on gender-based violence every year since
the last six years during Chhath Puja, a Hindu festival dedicated to Sun God Surya
and Goddess Chhathi Maiya.

Love is a four-legged word

Clickhappy! Sep '14

Love, affection, family can have diverse expressions – each meaningful in its own way and worthy of acknowledgement – Dog-Mom Vahista Dastoor gives us a peek into her family album!

“Whoever said you can’t buy happiness forgot little puppies” – Gene Hill,
American magazine columnist and author of books on nature related subjects

“The ideal age for a boy to own a dog is between 45 and 50” – Robert Benchley,
American newspaper columnist, actor, humourist

'Varta' blog 1st birthday album!

Clickhappy! Aug '14

Birthday messages from Varta team members . . .

Madhuja Nandi: To me the name Varta carries a big meaning. Varta is not only a form of media, but is also a ray of hope. It means a thin white line of light, which can lighten the dark room in my heart. Birthday wishes and loads of love and affection to Varta.

Kolkata queer pride roots for 365 without 377

Happenings, Clickhappy! Jul '14 (update 1)
Pawan Dhall and Kaushik Gupta on the ‘13th Kolkata Rainbow Pride Walk’, July 13, 2014, which protested the piecemeal granting of rights to queer people by the Supreme Court of India

The run-up to the '13th Kolkata Rainbow Pride Walk' began with a poster making
and slogan writing workshop at WBVHA Towers on June 15, 2014.
Photo credit (above and below): Kolkata Rainbow Pride Festival

Next stop: Kolkata Rainbow Pride Festival fund raiser party
for the walk at Hotel Blue Moon, July 5, 2014.
Photo credit: Pawan Dhall

Human rainbow

Clickhappy! Jun '14
Anubhav Gupta has an eye for the colours of the human rainbow

 

Anubhav Gupta is a media professional, a freelance writer, social activist and photographer based out of Delhi. He is the founder of Jeevan trust, an NGO that promotes social causes through media. He has worked extensively with underprivileged children, people with disabilities, people living with HIV, transgender people and other socially marginalized communities. 

Too hot to write

Vartanama, Clickhappy! May '14
By Pawan Dhall

May is too hot to write an editorial, but not too hot . . .