GUWAHATI, 12 Feb: Queer-trans activist Sawang Wangchha from AP QueerStation highlighted the gaps in livelihood opportunities for the transgender and queer community in Arunachal Pradesh, noting that the state lags behind other Northeastern states such as Manipur and Assam in terms of structured support systems.
He said this during a consultative meeting with community-based organisations (CBOs) on advocating livelihood opportunities in rural India for transgender and gender-diverse communities on 11 February here in Assam.
The meeting was organised by the National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (NIRDPR) and sponsored by the Canadian Fund for Local Initiatives. The consultation brought together CBO representatives from Arunachal, Assam, Kolkata, and other regions.
Wangchha emphasised the urgent need for foundational arrangements in Arunachal and requested that responsible government departments actively collaborate with local LGBTQIA+ communities. He stressed that it remains extremely challenging for community members to repeatedly approach systems that are often marked by homophobia, ignorance, and institutional insensitivity.
The primary focus of the consultation was to make government schemes, particularly the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDGKY), which emphasises on youth skill development and placement, more inclusive and accessible to marginalised communities, especially gender and sexual minorities (LGBTQIA+).
In addition to policy discussions, participating CBOs presented new livelihood pitches and community-driven proposals aimed at being implemented across the Northeast states. These ideas focused on sustainable skill development, entrepreneurship, and localised livelihood models tailored to the realities of transgender and gender-diverse communities in rural contexts.
The session was facilitated by Avinaba Dutta, an independent public policy researcher working on the development and inclusion of gender and sexual minorities. In his capacity as external expert at the NIRDPR, he supports and guides projects advancing the inclusion of transgender and gender-diverse communities in livelihood policies, frameworks and schemes.
Apart from that, two project officers at the NIRDPR-NERC in Guwahati – Viola Goswami and Himanish Baishya – were also present. They informed the participating CBOs about ongoing efforts to make government programmes more inclusive, and welcomed constructive suggestions from representatives across the states.
Prominent LGBTQIA+ activists from Northeast India, including Santa Khurai and Milin Dutta, were also part of the consultative programme.
