Queer Activist Rituparna experiments the free library concept to create political space for LGBTQ+ community in Assam

The journey of finding a space in an unequal world was haunting and humiliating for Rituparna. However, a new journey of creating multiple and innovative spaces for fellow community people suddenly become enchanting and fabulous for the young queer activist in Assam.

Quest to find desired space and bringing the issues of LGBTQ+ community to larger audience in innovative ways made Rituparna to outline a significantly innovative tool– the concept of a free library- the safest space to discuss, deliberate and raise questions of inclusiveness on the issue of queer narrative . This space is also equally important for children as joyful learning through read aloud story-telling sessions and other playful activities.

Interestingly, Rituparna outlined this unique idea of spreading queer narrative from the space of a community library during gloomy days of Covid-19 quarantine period. So far, three such spaces have been created—in Guwahati, Jorhat, and Dibrugarh in Assam.

“Covid-19 pandemic restricted our movements and pushed all of us into our homes. With constant denial to emotion of a queer person by most parents and society, it was not easy for many of our queer fellows to live in their homes for prolonged period. This made me very restless. Prior to pandemic, I used to work in community libraries as part of educational activities in rural areas. I started to miss all those activities and my community people as well,” Rituparna says, sitting at Chandraprabha Saikiani Feminist Library & Resource Centre, a Community Library cum living space in Dibrugarh.

Such restlessness finally made the queer activist to outline a series of online programmes titled ‘Project-Kitape Kotha Koy,’ which literally means ‘Project-Book Speaks’, a online story-telling. Simultaneously such sessions also became crucial platforms to connect and engage queer community to share thoughts and overcome moments of grim. Slowly Rituparna started to develop an online support base titled ‘Samarthan’ involving queer community.

Such mobilization that started during pandemic, eventually resulted in a meet up in Jorhat College of middle Assam, during April 2021, prior to second phase of Covid-19 lockdown. The Meet Up was attended by over 100 queer community people who went there from different parts of the state. On 30^th May, 2021, a collective initiative titled “Dristi- A Queer Collective” was launched with an aim to spread the narrative to villages form town or metro areas.

In August 2021, Project-Kitape Kotha Koy, the first Community Library was set up at Ahotguri village in Jorhat which triggered huge enthusiasm among children and queer community. On November 15, another During November, Queer Community Meet Up was organised in Dibrugarh, with attendance of a handful community people. Rituparna addressing a series of events organised by the Dibrugarh University in upper Assam followed the Meet Up.

Rituparna resourced a two-day workshop on gender issues by the Department of Social Work, addressed a public event titled Body as a Sight of Politics organised by Department of Political Science and participated in a number of interactive sessions organised by different Departments of the University.

Such close interactions with University teachers and students has helped Rituparna and fellow community people to grow intellectually and gain solidarity. This motivated them to organise a grand Pride Walk on June 5, 2022, in which over 500 LGBTQ+ community people and fellow comrades participated. A signature campaign, “No more holding my pee” for building up of gender neutral washroom in campus was the focus in this Pride Walk.

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A similar Pride Walk held in Jorhat in April, 2022 followed the Dibrugarh Pride Walk. Similar Pride Walk was also organised in Tezpur by community members and activists from the town.

The Chandraprabha Saikiani Feminist Library & Resource Centre, in Dibrugarh is not only a Community Library, but also a space with provisions for accommodation of community people to carry forward the mission. The space is named after Chandraprabha Saikiani, a leading feminist, writer, freedom fighter and social activist of Assam during 20^th Century, who dared to be a success single mother and constantly fought against patriarchal norms. For the library, Rituparna has collected books from his own resources for two years.

Such libraries also can be called as free library, as it is free for all. There is no registration fee or renewal of membership. Anybody can come and pick up a book for reading.

The idea of collecting books is to motivate like-minded people for donations, approaching publication houses for discounts and others. The response is overwhelming, according to the activist. So far a number of prestigious publication houses including Katha, Tulika, Zubaan, Kalpavriksh, Ektara and Eklavya have provided books at discount rate. This was possible because of the relentless efforts of Free Library Network (FLN). Efforts are on to establish linkages with more publication houses.

For Rituparna, the politics behind setting up such libraries in different places is also to help the community grow intellectually by providing emotional support.

“Neighbours would think twice to complain about such gatherings in a library, or dare to harass us in such a unique space where rows of books melt down our thoughts regularly. We need more such spaces,” the queer activist, a Masters in Social Work from Tata Institute of Social Science, Guwahati says, citing examples of how queer communities face stigma and discrimination to get a house for rent to settle.

Apart from reading sessions regular interaction with authors, leading personalities, frequent discussions between the community people and friends, are part of the library activism. These initiatives of setting up free libraries became possible because of the tireless efforts and activism by library activist within FLN which is a pan India network with more than 140 library, library organization, of which Rituparna is a core group member.

“We still do not have a leading queer personality in larger Assamese society. My politics is to co-exist with the larger society, and not to remain as an isolated community, only then we will be able to take our issues forward. I strongly believe the space of library is the safest space to initiate all such dialogues, deliberations and plans,” adds Rituparna.

So far Rituparna has reached out to more than 25 Colleges and Universities in Assam and connecting over 7000 students through workshop, discussions, awareness programme and public talks.

A strong believer of creating spaces for own and for community people to express themselves, become confident and lead meaningful lives, Rituparna’s mission is to lead the queer activism exploring more such innovative ways in coming days.

Ratna Bharali Talukdar

Photo Courtesy- Rituparna

Ratna Bharali Talukdar is an award winning journalist and the Executive Editor of NEZINE. She is currently a Laadli Media Fellow. This feature has been generated under the Laadli Media Fellowship 2023 offered by Population First and UNFPA. The opinions and views expressed are those of the author. Laadli and UNFPA do not necessarily endorse the views.