Mumbai: Deepak (name changed), a second-year student at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Bombay, has never revealed his sexual identity to anyone except a few close friends. Taunted as a child, he still battles fears of rejection.
But things are now changing on campus, and this makes Deepak hopeful about the future. Following in the footsteps of its Delhi and Chennai counterparts, IIT-Bombay, along with its queer resource group Saathi, is organising a queer festival on campus on 25-26 March — a first for the institution.
“I am thrilled that such an event is being organised at our campus. I plan to participate in it,” Deepak told ThePrint.
Founded in 2011, Saathi, the oldest LGBTQ+ body among all IITs, has been working for years to provide a voice to queer students on the IIT-Bombay campus. While it started out with small, close-knit events, this year it will hold a festival called ‘Rangavali’ for the community.
“The mission of the fest is to create awareness about gender identity among students and make them understand the difference between gender and sexuality. We ought to make this campus a safe space for students of all genders and sexual identities,” said Nikhil Bhardwaj, convener at Saathi.
“The fest will also give a sense of belonging to all queer students on campus who may have felt out of place due to their sexual identity,” he added.
ThePrint reached the IIT-Bombay management via email with queries about the event, but did not receive a response till the time of publishing this report. This report will be updated if and when a response is received.
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‘Inspired by other IIT queer fests’
According to Bhardwaj, what triggered the need for a queer festival at IIT-Bombay were similar events at IIT-Delhi and IIT-Madras. “They were our inspiration,” he told ThePrint.
Explaining the activities planned for this month’s festival, he said, “We will be hosting queer activists, LGBTQ rights advocates, academicians and many students and researchers from all walks of life.”
There will be talk sessions with LGBTQ icons and a panel discussion will examine the legality of same-sex marriage, adoption rights and its impact on India as a liberal democracy, Bhardwaj added.
For students, entertainment activities have been planned, such as a quiz on gender, sexuality, identity and diversity, an art competition-cum-exhibition showing queer-themed art, and a talent show.
Professor Abhijit Majumder, faculty adviser for Saathi, told ThePrint: “There will be workshops on how classrooms should be diverse and inclusive, and a discussion with queer activist Chayanika Shah, who also happens to be an IIT-Bombay alumni, on how the campus has changed over the years.”
Majumder further explained that “the student population has been divided into three segments — those who are liberal and aware of (sexual identity) issues, then those who lack awareness but are open to ideas, and the third category who do not want to hear anything despite being all-aware”.
“We want to focus on those who are open to discussion and dialogue,” he added.
Saathi did face some problems, such as delays in approval and logistical issues, in the run-up to the festival, but hopes to iron them out as more such events are held. It is planning to make the queer fest a flagship one to be celebrated for all coming years at the IIT-Bombay campus.
A glimmer of hope
Many queer students on campus are not yet comfortable about revealing their gender identity, and it is difficult to put a number to the community, Bhardwaj said, a view Majumder echoed.
For Deepak, too, it has not been an easy journey. In his childhood, people used to taunt him, he said, adding: “I was scared whether they will accept me or not. I feared rejection.”
Talking about IIT-Bombay, he said that people are more open-minded now. “I am really looking to open up about my sexual orientation. I have been scared, but when I attend (queer pride) events, I get inspired. My friends have been a big support to me, but I know there are many others like me on campus who are apprehensive about coming out.”
That is also why, according to Bhardwaj, many people may not turn up at this weekend’s festival. “What if their friends come to know, what if their parents come to know? So, we have organised this event around larger themes like gender and diversity, so that a larger audience can attend it and people from the community can also attend without getting recognised,” he said.
“While a stigma still surrounds queer issues, if more such events are held, people would attend and their mindset can change,” said Deepak.
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
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