Alpona ceremony by LGBTQI community to mark of abolition of IPC 377

Kolkata: The Adi Ballygunge Sarbojonin Durgotsab Samity has joined hands with a 14-year-old organisation that works for the marginalised youth to curate an "Alpona Ceremony" painted by the members of the LGBTQI community of Kolkata.

The initiative is a symbol of celebration to mark the first year anniversary of the abolition of IPC 377 in India.

A unique street graffiti has been curated by LGBTQI community led by transgender women Achintya and supported by a group of highly talented muslim youths along with the members of the puja committee. A special selfie kiosk booth has been made bearing the flag of pride and celebrating the anniversary of repealing IPC 377.

A separate stall portraying the 20 years long struggle against IPC 377 and 150 plus years of revolution in Bengali cultural social life through folklore like vadu, tusu, alcap, gajan where gender binary has always been broken has also been made.

"For the first time, in the first anniversary of liberation from 377, a sabeki pujo of Kolkata embraces the LGBTQI community in their 70th year celebration. This is historic in the sense Durga Puja being the festivity of inclusion, this community is included positively, affectionately and authentically" said Bappaditya Mukherjee, founder and director of Pranthakatha, that works for the marginalised youth.

"Our theme this year is 'Pujo with Pride'. The LGBTQI's had to keep them detached from the social life and relentlessly spend their life under the shade of silence, humiliation and rejection. We feel they also deserve the same reverence as any other person on this world deserves," a member of the Puja committee said.