Economic shock will not hit Adani, Ambani, Modi but youth and small traders: Rahul Gandhi in Raebareli
Gandhi said a major economic shock not seen for many years is on the way. Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said “very, very tough times are coming”. He claimed that an “economic shock” is coming and it will not hit “Adani, Ambani, or Modi,” but the youth, labourers, and small traders. Gandhi said a major economic shock not seen for many years is on the way. He also accused the Prime Minister of not following his own call for austerity. “In times of crisis, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is telling the countrymen not to travel outside but he himself is travelling around the world instead of handling the situation,” said Gandhi while addressing a gathering. Rahul Gandhi alleged that the economic structure created by PM Modi would not affect Adani and Ambani, nor the Prime Minister, but would hit ordinary people the hardest. “He will sit in his palaces, and the youth of Uttar Pradesh and the public will face a complete shock,” he added. Rahul Gandhi said the situation would lead to a shock “unlike anything seen before” and warned of the difficult times ahead. “It will be a shock unlike anything seen before. Difficult times are ahead,” he warned. The Congress MP made the attack on PM Modi while visiting the Churuwa Hanuman Temple in his home constituency Raebareli on the occasion of Bada Mangal. While interacting with media persons, when Rahul was asked about the possible alliance with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, he said he did not want to divert attention from key issues, stressing that fuel prices remained a major concern at present. On Tuesday, Gandhi, the Lok Sabha MP from Raebareli, landed at the Lucknow airport and left for his constituency straight from there. Gandhi is on a two-day visit to the party bastions of Raebareli and Amethi. He was received by UP Congress chief Ajay Rai and Congress Legislative Party leader Aradhana Mishra at the airport. Within the Congress, the visit is being seen as politically significant, with leaders saying the message Gandhi delivers from the family bastions could help shape the party’s strategy ahead of the state assembly election due early next year. During his visit on May 19 and 20, the Rae Bareli MP would inaugurate development projects, address public meetings, interact with women and party workers, and hold Janata Darbars. Party leaders say the outreach is aimed at laying the foundation for the Congress’ “Mission UP” campaign ahead of the Assembly elections. From Lucknow, Rahul left for Rae Bareli by road. On the way, he stopped his convoy and visited the Churuwa Temple to offer prayers to Lord Hanuman. Later, he inaugurated a marriage hall built through MP funds in Bachhrawan and interacted with local villagers. Rahul Gandhi will stay in Rae Bareli on Tuesday. On May 20, he will meet people during a public interaction programme and unveil the statue of freedom fighter Veera Pasi. After that, he will leave for Amethi. Since the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Rahul Gandhi has visited Rae Bareli six times. This is his seventh visit. Courtesy : TNIE Note: This news is originally published on https:/thenewindianexpress.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Delhi Court dismisses jailed activist Umar Khalid’s bail plea to care for ailing mother
Additional Sessions Judge Sameer Bajpai was hearing Khalid’s application seeking 15 days of interim bail to attend the 40-day post-death ritual of his uncle and take care of his mother who has to undergo a surgery. A Delhi court on Tuesday rejected jailed activist Umar Khalid’s bail plea to care for his ailing mother. The court dismissed the bail plea of former JNU student, accused in the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, saying the grounds for seeking the relief are unreasonable. Additional Sessions Judge Sameer Bajpai was hearing Khalid’s application seeking 15 days’ interim bail to attend the 40-day post-death ritual (Chehlum) of his uncle and take care of his mother, who has to undergo a surgery. In his order, the judge said, “The court is of the view that attending the Chehlum ceremony of his uncle is not that necessary. Things would have been different if the ceremony was of a person who was in immediate relation with the applicant.” The court also said Khalid could have sought the relief immediately after his uncle’s death if the relationship was so close. “If the relationship was so immediate and thick, the applicant would have asked for the release at the time of the death of his uncle only and not now after such a long time. Therefore, the court does not find this reason to be just,” the judge said. Opposing Khalid’s bail plea, Special Public Prosecutor Anirudh Mishra told the court that the accused has five sisters and a father who can help his mother pre and post surgery. “The surgery is not a serious one and is just a minor surgery, in which only local anaesthesia is given, and as such, again, there is no need for the accused to attend to his mother,” Mishra said. Taking note of the prosecution’s submissions, the court said Khalid himself had stated that he has five sisters and that his father is also available to take care of his mother. “Further, as said by the prosecution, the surgery is very simple, that is, just for the removal of lumps, and there seems to be no actual requirement of help from the side of the applicant,” the court said while denying bail to Khalid. Khalid is an accused in the conspiracy case linked to the February 2020 communal riots in northeast Delhi. He was booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and provisions of the IPC for allegedly being a mastermind of the 2020 riots that left 53 people dead and more than 700 injured. The researcher and scholar was arrested in the case on September 13, 2020. Khalid’s first regular bail plea was dismissed by the court on March 24, 2022, following which the Delhi High Court rejected his appeal against the order on October 18 of the same year. Activists Sharjeel Imam, Khalid Saifi and former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor Tahir Hussain, among others, were booked for their alleged involvement in the larger conspiracy case, which is being investigated by the Delhi Police’s Special Cell. Courtesy : TNIE Note: This news is originally published on https:/thenewindianexpress.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Fridge mechanic held for molesting minor Dalit girl
Pilibhit: A 26-year-old refrigerator mechanic was arrested on Monday for allegedly molesting a 15-year-old Dalit girl at her residence in Puranpur city, police said. The accused had gone to the victim’s house around 6 pm Sunday to repair a refrigerator. Finding the minor alone while her parents were away at the market, he allegedly molested her. According to the police, when the girl protested, the accused abused her and hurled casteist slurs. He fled after she screamed for help. The matter came to light on Monday after the victim’s father lodged a police complaint, leading to the registration of an FIR. Puranpur Kotwali SHO Pawan Pandey said the accused has been booked under BNS sections 74 (criminal force to a woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 352 (intentional insult). He also faces charges under sections 7 and 8 (sexual assault) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act, alongside relevant sections of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Dalit BSc student kills self after caste-based assault in Uttar Pradesh
AGRA: A 20-year-old Dalit BSc student allegedly died by suicide in his room in Uttar Pradesh’s Firozabad district on Sunday, a day after he was accused of harassing a girl at a library, assaulted and humiliated by a group of men upon learning his caste. Deceased Atin Kumar was a resident of Nagla Bilautia village under Shikohabad police station. A one-page suicide note recovered from Atin’s room mentioned harassment and assault at the library. Villagers said injury marks were visible on Atin’s body, and that there was a fracture in one of his fingers. Police on Monday said three accused were arrested, after a case was registered following a police complaint by the deceased’s father, Ajay Kumar. An FIR was registered under BNS sections 103 (murder), 191 (rioting), 352 (intentional insults designed to provoke breach of peace), 115 (voluntarily causing hurt), and appropriate sections of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, against six people, including two named accused — library operator Atul Sikera and Dhruv Yadav. Kumar said his son regularly visited the RM Library after college. On Saturday evening, some locals at the library allegedly accused Atin of harassing a girl and assaulted him after asking about his caste. “My son suffered injuries in the assault and came back home humiliated. He did not share the ordeal with the family and was found dead on Sunday,” stated Ajay Kumar in his complaint to the police. Atin was the only son of his parents, both of whom are specially abled. Due to the family’s poor financial conditions, Atin also managed a small grocery shop to support the family. Shikohabad DSP Amreesh Kumar, who is also investigating officer of the case, told TOI, “Three accused — Atul Sikera, Dhruv Yadav and Ritik Yadav — have been arrested. Police teams are working to nab the other absconding accused.” Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
What happens when Dalit Women lead Dalit movements?
A reflection from the first ever Dalit Literature Festival in Chicago It’s been a whirlwind of a Dalit History Month in April! I wrote several pieces for major publications, traveled to Chicago for the first ever (!) Dalit Literature Festival and then again to Syracuse to deliver a keynote at the South Asia’s Publics Symposium at Syracuse University. Many of you might also know that I’ve been involved with the efforts around the New York State Caste Bill, which is currently under consideration in state legislature and if passed could make New York the first state in the country to have caste protection laws in the books. So much has happened in the last few months and I can’t wait to update you all about it. But I want to start with the address for the panel on Gender and Caste, that I spoke in at the Dalit Literature Festival with Prof Shailaja Paik and Dr. Helen Chukka. Despite the provocation being on a slightly different subject, it was revealing that all three of us ended up addressing the same issue in our reflections — the state of Dalit women inside our own Dalit communities. Dr Paik — who I have written about on this Substack — talked about how Dalit women are often overlooked even within our own spaces, and ironically, how her work, which spans two decades became popular among Dalit communities only after she won the McArthur Foundation ‘Genius’ Grant. In my address, I wrote about the absence of Dalit women from leadership in movement spaces, barring a few prominent examples like Equality Labs’ Thenmozhi Soundarajan. This is also why I’m so thrilled to be among the leading voices on the New York Caste Bill, which is a Dalit femme led effort, introduced by firebrand Dalit lawyer, Swati Sawant and organized by community activists like Shalini (more on that soon). Me (left) with Swati Sawant and Pabitra Dash from Adhikaar at the AAARI CUNY Asian American Symposium on May 15 I’m grateful to my friend Pushkar Sharma from SACRED Chicago and Obed Manwatkar, along with the Midwest Ambedkarites, who organized this momentous gathering and invited me to participate in the festival. A special shoutout to Obed, who ensured that our voices were included as central to the celebration and who encouraged us as Dalit women, to speak our truth, even in the face of palpable discomfort. Here is the reflection in full: Dear friends, comrades and attendees at the first Dalit Literature Festival. I’m beyond honored to participate and be in conversation with Dr Shailaja Paik, Dr Helen Chukka and Kshitija Chavan, who is moderating today. Before we move ahead with the conversation, let me acknowledge the historic nature of this moment, where Dalit women and our voices are centered so assertively as part of this broader conversation of Dalit Literature. Dalit women have been historically marginalized not only within the larger Brahminical structures, within the Savarna feminist movement but also, and yes, there can be no better place to say it, even within mostly male-dominated Dalit spaces. Before we address the persistent focus on representation that become the precondition for a visible feminism in this neoliberal hellscape, I think it’s even more crucial for us to address the issue that is closer to all of us, both literally and figuratively. The presence and participation of Dalit women within Dalit spaces has no doubt increased over the last several years. The existence of this panel within this gathering is far from the only example. Yet, based on many experiences that I have both witnessed and undergone, it is safe to say that while Dalit women in movement spaces are encouraged, their leadership within our own communities is at best tolerated. The Dalit movement, as we know and understand it, takes shape in academia, as we are all gathered here to witness. But it also takes place on the streets, in community meetings, on social media and inside our homes. There have been countless instances where we find Dalit women expected to carry out the ‘consigned feminine’ roles of organizing events, cooking for gatherings, managing decorations but more or less excluded from rooms where decisions actually happen, and where their presence/our presence would challenge the gender dynamic that sadly still continues to take hold in our movement spaces. The panel on Caste and Gender at the Dalit Literature Festival in Chicago; Dr Shailaja Paik (left), Me, Dr Helen Chukka (center) and Dr Obed Manwatkar; April 18 Just a few weeks ago, the shocking story of Cesar Chavez, the pioneering movement leader of Latino Civil Rights and an enduring champion of farm workers broke in the New York Times. Chavez, whose work had elevated him to a godlike status within his communities, was accused of sexual abuse by several women and young children who had come in contact with him over the years, including by his closest aide and the co-founder of the United Farm Workers union he had founded, Dolores Huerta. The story which was published in the New York Times after five years of relentless investigative work highlights a chilling account of the ways in which Huerta and countless other women were silenced and ignored for years, just to preserve and maintain the legacy of what was then considered a fragile and deeply crucial movement. If you haven’t read that story, I would highly encourage you to do so. Not because there is a one-to-one parallel between that and what happens within our own movement spaces. But because it shows in incredibly clarifying detail, how marginalized women within movement spaces are devalued, ignored and forced maintain silence for quote, unquote the greater good. It forces us to question the deep discomfort we feel with contrarian ideas, especially when they are espoused and originated from women whose identities make them further marginalized in a group of already marginalized communities. And it makes us wonder about the instinctive knee-jerk reactions that we exhibit in respond to Dalit women
Dalits can’t be Tamil Nadu CM: VCK chief breaks silence over approach for top post
Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) chief Thol Thirumavalavan on Monday confirmed that “well-wishers and mediators” had approached him over the possibility of becoming Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, but said no formal discussions were ever held and no one officially sought his support for such a move. The remarks by the VCK leader come days after India Today reported that a rebel AIADMK leader had claimed the DMK proposed making Thirumavalavan the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, which would have made him the state’s first Dalit CM. Speaking after the floor test in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, rebel AIADMK leader C Ve Shanmugam had said the state got an “extremely rare chance” and an “unimaginable, impossible chance” for “someone from the Scheduled Caste community to become Chief Minister.” Responding to the controversy, Thirumavalavan said, “Well-wishers and mediators spoke but no one approached officially, forcing us to accept this decision and seeking support.” He added that certain mid-level leaders and supporters had questioned why a Dalit could not become Chief Minister. “Even my party general secretary put out a tweet but we said it is not right,” he said. Thirumavalavan also revealed that he was informed on the night of May 8 about comments surrounding the possibility of him becoming Chief Minister, but said he initially took it lightly. The VCK chief reiterated that his party had extended only outside and unconditional support to Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) for government formation. “I’ve said that we will not take part in the Cabinet while our party leaders are still wanting to,” he said. Reflecting on the broader social context, Thirumavalavan said Tamil Nadu, despite being described as a land of social justice and Periyar’s ideology, remained deeply affected by caste realities. “Tamil Nadu, even if you call it a social justice land or Periyar land, is caught in the grips of casteism. A Dalit cannot become a Chief Minister here that easily,” he said. Story by Pramod Madhav Courtesy : MSN Note: This news is originally published on https:/msn.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Mahatma Gandhi and the Guruvayur struggle
In this day and age when Guruvayur is a popular pilgrimage spot for people from all across India (and even Sri Lanka), it’s difficult to imagine that Dalits were not allowed into the Sree Krishna temple until June 1947. In 1936, the 24-year-old Maharaja Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma passed the Travancore Temple Entry Proclamation decree, but this had no bearing on those who lived outside the princely state. Guruvayur was then in the Malabar district of the Madras province. The organised movement for Dalits, then called Untouchables, to enter the Guruvayur temple began with the 1931 Satyagraha led by K Kelappan and AK Gopalan, both Nairs. One of the biggest supporters of this non-violent movement was Mahatma Gandhi. In January 1933, the Manchester Guardian reported that Gandhi persuaded Kelappan to not fast, but said he himself would do so from the Yerawada Central Jail, if the upper castes remained adamant on denying Dalits entry to the temple. “Hinduism dies if untouchability lives, and untouchability has to die if Hinduism is to live,” Gandhi was quoted as saying by the United Press news agency. He said it would be “a living death” to witness the “degeneration” of the temple-entry movement, which he believed was “probably the biggest religious reform movement in India.” In the same period, C Rajagopalachari sent a cable to the Guardian where he said that the onus was on the British to implement legislation that banned discriminatory entry practices, as the temple was in the legal jurisdiction of British India. “Mr Rajagopalachari’s cable states that the Government is unwilling to permit the necessary bills to be introduced in the Legislature,” the Guardian said. “British authority is thus impeding the progress of social reform which Indian opinion demands,” the paper cited Rajagopalachari as saying. When Gandhi’s pleas from the Yerawada jail were falling on deaf ears, he proposed a makeshift compromise formula where the Guruvayur temple would allow entry to Dalits, and those who didn’t mind their presence, for a few hours a day. The idea was rejected by influential upper caste individuals, while the Zamorin (Samoothiri) of Calicut, the main patron of the temple, did not take a formal stand. “The Zamorin’s personal sympathies are believed to incline to the side of tradition, but on the question of temple entry, he has wisely taken up a neutral attitude and shelters himself behind the present state of the law, which makes it more than doubtful whether a temple trustee has any power to admit the untouchables into the precincts of a caste temple,” the Guardian added. The Mahatma’s activism towards social justice made him unpopular among a section of people in Kerala who wanted casteist practices to continue. A wire report from 1934 said Gandhi was given a “hostile reception” in Palghat (Palakkad). “Hundreds of Orthodox Hindus today greeted Gandhi’s arrival with black flags and cries of: ‘Go back, Gandhi. Your anti-religious propaganda is sowing the seeds of disunion and violence,’” the report said. The Palakkad protestors blocked Gandhi’s car by lying on the ground, and had to be removed by the police. Media reports of the time, however, seemed to suggest that a growing number of uppercaste Hindus supported Gandhi. The Guardian said “energy and enthusiasm” were on the Mahatma’s side. Guruvayur became a symbol of the movement for social justice in Kerala in that era. “Not that Guruvayur is a temple of extraordinary importance, but it is situated in the stronghold of orthodoxy and traditional Hinduism, the Malayali-speaking country (sic) on the southwest coast, where the pure castes are more more pure and the impure pollute at a longer range than in any other part of India,” the British paper said. The Travancore proclamation of 1936 did not lead to any similar changes in the Cochin state or the Malabar district. It would take another 11 years before Dalits in those parts of Kerala were legally allowed inside Hindu temples. Mahatma Gandhi was alive to witness these changes, but by that time, India was in the midst of the Partition and the communal violence and refugee crisis created by the division of the country. Gandhi’s 1933 statement about Hinduism and untouchability remains relevant all these decades later. It’s a shame that there are still temples in India that do not allow entry to Dalits, despite this being illegal. Caste discrimination in various other forms also lives on across the country- something the Mahatma would be deeply ashamed about. Ajay Kamalakaran Courtesy : ON manorama Note: This news is originally published on https:/onmanorama.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
“I’m sorry, you’re SC, we can’t hire you.” A young man in Haryana was fired from his job after being asked about his caste two hours after joining.
A Dalit youth in Panipat, Haryana, has leveled serious allegations against a private company. He claims he was fired from his HR position because of his caste. During the interview, the company owner and others abused him with caste-related slurs and pushed him. A complaint has been filed at Sector 13 and 17 police stations, and the police are investigating the matter. Panipat. A shocking incident has come to light in Panipat, Haryana, where a young man was fired because he belonged to the Dalit community. Rizul Kumar, a resident of Babarpur Mandi, said he was selected for the HR position after an interview at Ela Home Fashions Company on GT Road, Panipat. After his selection, Rizul was asked to meet the company’s General Manager. The youth went to the GM’s cabin to meet him. It is alleged that the General Manager asked about his caste instead of his qualifications. After providing his caste, Rizul returned home. About two hours later, the company official called Rijul and said, “I’m sorry, we can’t hire you. You belong to a Scheduled Caste. This isn’t covered by our policy.” Hearing this, the young man was shocked. The young man explained that when he went to the company with his sister to inquire about the reason for the dismissal, he and his sister were insulted with casteist slurs. The young man alleges that the company owner’s mother also used casteist slurs and pushed the two siblings out of the company. The victim went to Sector 13 and 17 police stations and filed a complaint against the company owner’s mother, the General Manager, and the HR for insulting him with casteist slurs. The station in-charge stated that the matter would be thoroughly investigated. The young man stated that his salary and all formalities had been completed. He alleged that the company promised to offer jobs based on caste. He said that he was stressed the entire night. The senior HR also made caste-related comments and even attempted to assault him. Reported by:Sumit Kumar Edited by:Vinod Kumar Katwal About the Author Vinod Kumar Katwal, a Season journalist with 14 years of experience across print and digital media. I have worked with some of India’s most respected news organizations, including Dainik Bhaskar, IANS, Punjab Kesari, and Amar Ujala. Currently serving as the Bureau Chief for Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, I lead and oversee comprehensive coverage across key regions, ensuring impactful, accurate, and timely reporting. With a strong command over political and crime reportage, I am passionate about in-depth storytelling, ground reporting, and delivering sharp, trustworthy journalism. Courtesy : Hindi News
Caste tensions flare up over temple entry in Kurnool
The incident once again highlighted the persistence of caste-based discrimination in rural areas despite constitutional guarantees of equality and social justice. KURNOOL: Tension prevailed in Juturu village of Patikonda mandal in Kurnool district after Dalits were allegedly prevented from entering a newly constructed Anjaneya Swamy temple by members of upper castes. Following complaints from affected families, police and revenue officials intervened to restore normalcy and ensure temple access for the Scheduled Caste community. Though the incident occurred on Saturday, it came to light on Monday after videos and messages related to the issue went viral on social media platforms. According to Patikonda DSP Venkataramaiah, the Revenue Divisional Officer and the DSP personally supervised the situation immediately after receiving information about the incident and arranged heavy police security at temple premises. Under tight police bandobast, Dalits entered the temple and offered special prayers in the presence of officials. The DSP said officials took adequate measures to prevent any untoward incidents and deployed a police picket in the village as a precautionary measure. The incident once again highlighted the persistence of caste-based discrimination in rural areas despite constitutional guarantees of equality and social justice. Courtesy : TNIE Note: This news is originally published on https:/thenewindianexpress.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
PHOTO ESSAY: A symbolic marriage ritual and beauty pageant brings India’s trans community together
The Koovagam festival in Koovagam village, Tamil Nadu, India, is an annual gathering of transgender women to honor the Hindu deity Aravan, celebrate their identity and beauty, and find a sense of belonging. KOOVAGAM, India | Under stage lights, hundreds of transgender women adjusted their sarees, tucked flowers into their hair, and waited to be called onstage. One by one, they waved to cheering crowds and struck poses at one of India’s largest gatherings for the transgender community. Held each year in Koovagam village in southern India’s Tamil Nadu, the annual Koovagam festival brings faith and beauty together. By day, transgender women gather at a temple to honor a Hindu deity through rituals rooted in mythology and grief. By night, they celebrate glamour, identity, and joy as they take part in a vibrant beauty pageant. The festival centers on the Hindu legend of Aravan, a warrior from the Hindu epic Mahabharata who agreed to sacrifice himself before battle but wished to marry first. According to the story, the Hindu god Krishna transformed into a female form to wed Aravan. Many transgender women in India see the tale as a rare sacred recognition of gender fluidity, and each year reenact the marriage during the festival. The celebration, which drew hundreds of transgender women last month, has become both a sacred pilgrimage and a powerful expression of identity in a country where many transgender people still face discrimination, violence and exclusion. It also unfolded under a cloud of anxiety for the transgender community. Many attendees arrived amid growing concern over a controversial national bill that activists warn could erode hard-won rights for India’s transgender community by requiring medical-board approval for legal gender recognition. For many participants, the festival was deeply spiritual. Shanshi, who goes by just one name, has been attending the festival for five years and described Aravan as “God for all transgender people.” “When we gather here, it is for one reason — to worship Lord Aravan by getting married to him,” she said, after a Hindu priest tied a sacred thread around her neck, symbolically marrying her to the deity. Others spoke of violence and hardship beyond the festival grounds. Nazariya Kutty, 28, said she was forced out of her family home as a teenager and later survived domestic abuse and sexual assault in a marriage she hoped would bring stability. She rebuilt her life through delivery jobs before reopening her travel business. Now back at Koovagam with friends, she said the rituals give her strength. “I am waiting to be the bride of Lord Aravan,” Kutty said. “I have faith he will restore whatever I have lost.” Amid the festival’s spiritual fervor, the atmosphere remained celebratory. The village of Koovagam also transformed into a vibrant beauty pageant, where glamour and community took center stage. Backstage at this year’s beauty pageant, contestants in shimmering sarees shared mirrors and makeup brushes before stepping onto the stage as music echoed through the village. For 24-year-old Surya Kutty, winning the Miss Koovagam crown marked a personal turning point after years of returning to the festival with close friends. “This win has given me the confidence to participate in national and international events,” she said. Beyond the pageantry and rituals, many attendees described the gathering as a rare space of belonging for a community that continues to face barriers to jobs, housing and healthcare across India. Surya said the festival creates a rare sense of belonging. “Here we meet other transgender people and feel loved and cared by everyone,” she said. “These are special days meant exclusively for us.” Reported by SHEIKH SAALIQ Associated Press This is a documentary photo story curated by AP photo editors. Courtesy : Sentinel Note: This news is originally published on https:/sentinel.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights