Raipur: For the transgender community at Garima Grih in Raipur, Raksha Bandhan this year was more than a festival of threads and sweets. The celebration carried a special sense of pride as newly appointed transgender constables returned to the centre to celebrate with members of the community.
For many residents of the shelter home, who have experienced estrangement from their biological families, the sight of members of their community joining the police force and returning in uniform was a powerful symbol of acceptance, visibility and a growing place in institutions once considered beyond their reach.
Residents tied rakhis to one another, recreating familial bonds within the community. One of the most touching moments came when trans woman Nikki Dhruv tied a rakhi on the wrist of her brother, Sparsh Kashyap.
Poppy Devanath said Raksha Bandhan at Garima Grih was about experiencing the affection and security of a family.
Transgender rights activist Vidya Rajput said many transgender persons grow up with painful distances from their parents and siblings, even though emotional bonds often remain. Celebrating Raksha Bandhan together, she said, helps recreate some of that lost sense of home.
The participation of the transgender constables added a deeper significance to the occasion. In a space created to provide shelter and dignity to a community that has long fought for recognition, seeing members of their own community return in uniform reflected a larger journey from the margins towards the mainstream, with every rakhi strengthening the bond of belonging.
Courtesy : TOI
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