Transgender models catwalk at fashion show in Delhi
New Delhi: Transgender models did the catwalk at Under the Rainbow, a unique fashion show also featuring drag queens and people with disability.
The event was held here at Kitty Su, The Lalit.
From Miss Trans Queen India, two transgender staff members from The Lalit Group staff, Indian drag queens, DJ Kitty Glitter who was crowned Sydney's Favourite Drag Queen in 2006 were among the models.
Differently-abled DJ Varun Khullar mixed the music for the show.
They were dressed up by celebrated Indian designers such as Rohit Bal, Tarun Tahliani, Namrata Joshipura, Gauri Nainika, Geisha Designs by Paras and Shalini, Pallavi Mohan and Arjun Saluja.
The idea behind the event was to send out a message of love and inclusiveness as the New Year beckons.
Kitty Su has earlier hosted popular international drag artists such as Alaska 5000, Violet Chachki, Derrick Barry and Kitty Glitter.
Keshav Suri, Executive Director, The Lalit Suri Hospitality Group, has also conceptualised a local Drag Queen Tour featuring actor, model and singer Sushant Divgikar, crowned as Mr Gay India 2014 and who participated in "Bigg Boss season 8".
Sushant was initiated as Rani Ko-He-Nur into drag, and together, they curated a few shows. The show also featured Alex Mathew, popularly known as Maya The Drag Queen.
"We are not only hosting successful inclusive events, we are redefining set society norms, and I am proud to say that we are making a difference. It's not just the government or the institutions, but it is the people who must act to make a difference. All we need for 2018 is pure love," Suri said in a statement.
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Trouble ‘Miyas’ everywhere only then they will leave Assam: Himanta Biswa Sarma
Says “Himanta Biswa Sarma, BJP are openly against them, we are saying it openly
New Delhi: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said that four to five lakh “Miya voters” would be removed from the electoral rolls in the state once the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists is carried out. He also made a series of controversial remarks openly targeting the Miya community, a term commonly used in Assam in a derogatory sense to refer to Bengali-speaking Muslims.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an official programme in Digboi in Tinsukia district, Sarma said it was his responsibility to create difficulties for the Miya community and claimed that both he and the BJP were “directly against Miyas”.
“Four to five lakh Miya votes will have to be deleted in Assam when the SIR happens,” Sarma said, adding that such voters “should ideally not be allowed to vote in Assam, but in Bangladesh”. He asserted that the government was ensuring that they would not be able to vote in the state.
The chief minister was responding to questions about notices issued to thousands of Bengali-speaking Muslims during the claims and objections phase of the ongoing Special Revision (SR) of electoral rolls in Assam. While the Election Commission is conducting SIR exercises in 12 states and Union Territories, Assam is currently undergoing an SR, which is usually meant for routine updates.
Calling the current SR “preliminary”, Sarma said that a full-fledged SIR in Assam would lead to large-scale deletion of Miya voters. He said he was unconcerned about criticism from opposition parties over the issue.
“Let the Congress abuse me as much as they want. My job is to make the Miya people suffer,” Sarma said. He claimed that complaints filed against members of the community were done on his instructions and that he had encouraged BJP workers to keep filing complaints.
“I have told people wherever possible they should fill Form 7 so that they have to run around a little and are troubled,” he said, adding that such actions were meant to send a message that “the Assamese people are still living”.
In remarks that drew further outrage, Sarma urged people to trouble members of the Miya community in everyday life, claiming that “only if they face troubles will they leave Assam”. He also accused the media of sympathising with the community and warned journalists against such coverage.
“So you all should also trouble, and you should not do news that sympathise with them. There will be love jihad in your own house.” He said.
The comments triggered reactions from opposition leaders. Raijor Dal president and MLA Akhil Gogoi said the people of Assam had not elected Sarma to keep one community under constant pressure. Congress leader Aman Wadud accused the chief minister of rendering the Constitution meaningless in the state, saying his remarks showed a complete disregard for constitutional values.
According to the draft electoral rolls published on December 27, Assam currently has 2.51 crore voters. Election officials said 4.78 lakh names were marked as deceased, 5.23 lakh as having shifted, and 53,619 duplicate entries were removed during the revision process. Authorities also claimed that verification had been completed for over 61 lakh households.
On January 25, six opposition parties the Congress, Raijor Dal, Assam Jatiya Parishad, CPI, CPI(M) and CPI(M-L) submitted a memorandum to the state’s chief electoral officer. They alleged widespread legal violations, political interference and selective targeting of genuine voters during the SR exercise, describing it as arbitrary, unlawful and unconstitutional.
