West Bengal govt to host transgender literary meet in July
What's the story
The West Bengal government is set to sponsor a literary meet for transgender writers and authors from across West Bengal. Manabi Bandyopadhyay, a member of the literary body, said the one-day meet to be organized by Sahitya Akademi has been scheduled for the second week of July in Kolkata. Five writers, from different walks of life, expressed their willingness in participating in the event.
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First literary meet exclusively for transgenders: Bandyopadhyay
"To my knowledge, this is the first such literary meet, exclusively to be attended by transgender litterateurs whose artistic work seldom comes to light," Bandyopadhyay, who is also the first transgender college principal in the country, said.
Aim
Initiative aimed at promoting transgender writers of West Bengal
Mihir Sahu, the officer-in-charge of Sahitya Akademi East, said the event date has not been finalized as yet. "The unique initiative is aimed at promoting transgender authors of Bengal. It might be followed up by more such initiatives in the future," he said. One of the participants, Anjali Mandal, said she was planning to recite her compositions at the meet.
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We do not feel awkward to reveal ourselves: Mandal
"I think people's attitude toward the transgenders has changed, but there is scope for more. We do not feel awkward to reveal our identity and are not subjected to taunts by people. This literary meet will only contribute to our cause," Mandal said.