First-ever Kinnar festival in Maharashtra celebrates transgender community and advocates for social inclusion

First-ever Kinnar festival in Maharashtra celebrates transgender community and advocates for social inclusion

KALYAN: The first-ever Kinnar (transgender) Mahotsav in Maharashtra was celebrated in a grand manner on Monday at Acharya Atre Auditorium in Kalyan. It was jointly organised by Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) and Kinnar Asmita Foundation.

Hundreds of transgenders, their gurus from across the country, and various other social workers from the city participated in Mahotsav. Programs related to their upliftment were held during the event.

During the festival, the transgenders presented a beautiful fashion show to the music song titled ‘Humein Dekhni Hai Azadi’. They held placards expressing their pains and expectations from society, with messages such as ‘Hum antariksh se nahi maa ke pet se hi aaye hai’ (We have not come from space but from the mother’s womb), ‘Humein jeena hai izzat se aur swabhimaan se marna hai’ (We have to live with respect and die with self-respect), and ‘Dukh, Dard, Pyar, Bhavnaye ham me bhi hoti hai bas koi samjhta nahi’ (We also feel sadness, pain, love but no one understands us). The audience in the auditorium became teary-eyed upon hearing their expressions and expectations.KDMC Commissioner Dr Indurani Jakhar stated that every section of society should get equal human rights. To bring them into the mainstream of society, the govt will definitely try to fulfil the needs of the Kinnar community through govt schemes.

On this occasion, Acharya Mahamandaleshwar Lakshmi Narayan Tripathi of Kinnar Akhara, Dr Shivalakshmi Nandagiri Aisaheb of International Kinnar Akhara, Kinnar Maa Trust Founder Dr Salma Khan, Social and Gender Rights Advocate Dr Sanvi Jethwani, CEO of Humsafar Trust Vivek Anand, other dignitaries of the Kinnar community, Additional Commissioner of Municipal Corporation Yogesh Godse, Deputy Commissioner of Social Development Department Sanjay Jadhav, Brand Ambassador of KDMC’s cleanliness drive Dr Prashant Patil, and many other dignitaries were present on the platform.

At the festival, Nita Kene, Founder of Kinnar Asmita, appealed, “People have a different perspective towards Kinnars. There is a need to bring them into the mainstream and help the Kinnar sect to stand on their own feet.”

“Since ancient times, Kinnars have been honoured as sub-deities. But today, the opposite situation has arisen,” Dr Shivalakshmi Nandagiri Aisaheb expressed, emphasising the need for unity in education and rights.

Acharya Mahamandaleshwar Lakshmi Narayan Tripathi of Kinnar Akhada said, “I am happy to see that this is the first time any civic body organised such a nice festival for the transgender community for their upliftment in society, and I will appeal to other civic bodies in the country to learn from KDMC.”

On this occasion, transgenders presented Shri Ganesh Vandana, Lavani dance, Radha Krishna dance, and many other performances. However, everyone’s eyes teared up during a performance in the fashion show when transgenders, holding placards, presented their problems and expectations from society.

At the end, all the dignitaries from the Kinnar community congratulated the Municipal Corporation and Municipal Commissioner Dr Indu Rani Jakhar for the program organised with the help of Kinnar Asmita organisation.

At the program, KDMC’s Social Development Department’s Deputy Municipal Commissioner Sanjay Jadhav, who took a lot of effort to organise this festival, said, “KDMC will come up with various schemes for transgenders’ upliftment in society including saving group for transgenders’ through which KDMC will provide space for business, identify proof will be provided to those who did not have and many other projects”.

Courtesy: Times of India

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