Pune: Mangalmukhi Kinnar Charitable Trust to hold unity march for transgender community tomorrow
The Mangalmukhi Kinnar Charitable Trust, which traditionally works with the hijra community, would take out its first-ever transgender rally in Pune on Sunday to highlight the need for staying united and raising a voice against social evil.
Issues like the dowry death of Vaishnavi Hagawane, discrimination against the transgender community, etc, the trust said, would be highlighted during the march.
The rally, termed the Ekta Rally or Rally for Unity, stands out as this would be the first time the trust is coming on the road. It will start from Ganesh Peth in Pune at 3 pm and end near Shaniwarwada.
The Mangalmukhi Kinnar Charitable Trust said in a statement that the main reason for the rally was to highlight the need for unity in times of distress.
'The hijra community has no divisions on the basis of caste or religion. Ours is a support system-based society. But the present divisive atmosphere in the larger society has affected us too. Our march is to lay stress on the unity of the nation, and we would also call upon others to do so,' the Trust said.
On the need for conducting the rally, the Trust's spokesperson said the community felt it was fit to come on the roads in June, being Pride Month, to call for unity and raise awareness about various issues affecting the community at large.
The Mangalmukhi Kinnar Charitable Trust is managed and run by the hijra community. It runs various organisations and undertakes welfare activities for the community at large. The affairs of the hijra community are conducted as per traditions and have a 'Guru Chela format', where the inmates are raised and guided through various art forms under the tutelage of a teacher.
Partha Sarathi Biwas is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express with 10+ years of experience in reporting on Agriculture, Commodities and Developmental issues. He has been with The Indian Express since 2011 and earlier worked with DNA. Partha's report about Farmers Producer Companies (FPC) as well long pieces on various agricultural issues have been cited by various academic publications including those published by the Government of India. He is often invited as a visiting faculty to various schools of journalism to talk about development journalism and rural reporting. In his spare time Partha trains for marathons and has participated in multiple marathons and half marathons. ... Read More
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