Bhai Dooj: Kolkata transwomen celebrate with street children

Kolkata: Praising the bond among siblings and sisters, a gathering of transwomen from West Bengal celebrated 'Bhai Dooj' with road kids in Kolkata today.

The custom, otherwise called 'Bhai-Phota' in Bengal, is observed two days after Diwali when sisters travel to their siblings' home and appeal to God for their long life and flourishing.

The transwomen from state-based Manabi Foundation, a welfare association for the transgender individuals, accumulated close to Kolkata's Girish Park territory today evening and favored the road kids by applying vermilion and tilaks on their brows.

"This is an activity to bring the underestimated and the standard together. Road kids regularly don't find the opportunity to have 'bhai-phota'. Likewise, the transwomen are not allowed to watch the custom as a large portion of them are as yet not viewed as a piece of the standard society," India's first transgender school essential Manabi Bandyopadhyay, who is additionally the leader of the association told the media.

"This year six or seven of our transwomen gave Bhai-phota to 20 road kids and offered them sweetmeats as a feature of the custom. Mankind is our greatest personality. I feel everybody ought to have the privilege to celebrate such social events. We require all the more such occasions to enable the transgenders to conquer the depression and carelessness from the general public," she said.

Some transwomen of the Foundation likewise commended the event with a gathering of sex workers from Kolkata's Sonagachi, viewed as Asia's biggest red light zone.

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