3rd July 2018, Kolkata – Rituporno Ghosh, a name that has been a house of expertise and skilled thought process, leaves no doubt behind of his traces being left after his travel to abode. His gender orientation has been throughout a controversy yet amidst all he was strong enough to make films and project his opinions through his brilliant creative visualization. For the innumerable people, who belong to LGBTQ community, admires him in a different way. And this strength of Ghosh is getting transmitted through one person to another and such an example is Megh Sayantan Ghosh who is India’s first transgender lawyer to win a civil case. Megh Sayantan since her realisation of her body, has faced untold miseries both mentally and physically. It is her ardent desire to stand on her own talents and capabilities that she passed the law in First Class and is a practicing lawyer at the Alipore Court. She is also a passionate dancer and this passion has united her with the Mahari awarded Guru Sanchita Bhattacharya, who with a firm support stood by her side.
In 2014, Megh founded the ‘Rudrapolash’ which sheltered the dancing talents of around 12 transgenders and every year Sayantan gives away the Ritu Awards as a tribute to Rituporno Ghosh. This year too the ‘Ritu Awards’ will be given to 16 people from varied fields and professions of which few names are Joint CP Sujay Kumar Chanda, Alokananda Roy, Lopamudra Mitra, Jaya Seal, Guru Sanchita Bhattacharya, Mimi Das, Ranjita Sinha, Sree Basu, Samraggi C, Gautam Dey and more. The program will be at ICCR on 8th July 2018. When asked about the program, Megh Sayantan replies, “This is the first ever award program where the transgender community will honour the mainstream people. I admire Ritu da a lot who was a vast ocean of creativity and learning nest. This award is in memory of him with a pledge to make the transgender community stronger, educated and nurture their talents so that they can carve a niche in the society.”
This Award program is an attempt to marginalise the distance between the society and the LGBTQ community. As the change is spreading far and wide, it can be assumed that this will no longer be an issue of unawareness. And with this first ever award program in Kolkata it is expected that the audience will also treat their eyes with ‘Ami Chitrangada’ as a part of the award program, curated and performed by Guru Sanchita Bhattacharya along with Megh Sayantan Ghosh.
