Dehradun, 15th March 2024: FICCI Ladies Organization (FLO) Uttarakhand Chapter hosted a talk session titled ‘Voices of Empowerment’ at Hyatt Centric Rajpur Road today. The program saw the participation of renowned transgender rights activist, Bollywood actor, Bharatnatyam dancer, and the first transgender to represent Asia Pacific in the UN in 2008, Acharya Mahamandaleshwar Laxmi Narayan Tripathi. The session was moderated by Anurag Chauhan, a prominent social worker dedicated to fostering positive change through his Dehradun-based NGO, Humans For Humanity.
Talking about how she came out as a transgender, Laxmi Narayan Tripathi, said, “There was a time when my parents were considering marriage proposals for me, and I ‘came out’ as a transgender during a media press conference, fully decked up in women’s clothing and makeup. It was then that my parents got to know about my sexual orientation.”
Sharing about how her parents reacted to her being transgender, Laxmi said, “My parents have supported me greatly and provided me with the finest of education. I come from an orthodox Brahmin family, and I felt secure in a lot of ways because I had the best parents.”
On discussing about the topic for the day ‘Voices of Empowerment’, Laxmi spoke about the emphasis of empowerment in her life and said, “For me, the biggest source of empowerment was my mother. She always taught me that whatever I want to do in life, I should always uphold my character. My mother has protected me immensely in the past, without which I wouldn’t be alive today. I would like to conclude that as God couldn’t be everywhere, he created mothers!”
Talking about Bollywood, she added, “I have been associated with the Bollywood industry in the past and I must say that life in Bollywood is all drama. I’ve been friends with many Bollywood superstars, but I’ve always kept my distance as it’s an artificial industry.”
During the session, Laxmi talked about her becoming the first transgender person to hold a passport in India. She also shared, “While I was traveling to New York to represent India at the UN, I was so proud of myself to have been allocated the diplomatic status. All the praise and recognition felt so nice at that moment!”
On being asked about her experience as Acharya Mahamandaleshwar and whether has she ever faced discrimination in this role, Laxmi said, “There are and have been many people who do not like us. We have faced many hurdles in this aspect, but thankfully Avdheshanand ji of Juna Akhada and Harigiri ji Maharaj accepted us. We are also very proud of taking ‘Shahi Snan’ with Juna Akhara.”
During the occasion, moderator Anurag Chauhan also shared his thoughts and said, “According to me, empowerment begins with recognizing the innate pride and rights of each person. We can pave the way for a more equal and successful tomorrow by encouraging inclusivity and addressing pressing problems of the society.”
During the occasion, the Chairperson of FLO Uttarakhand Chapter, Anuradha Malla, expressed her gratitude towards the speakers and attendees and said, “The session today demonstrates FLO’s dedication to encouraging significant discussion and promoting empowerment among women and marginalized communities. We are honored to have hosted such eminent personalities and look forward to continuing our journey towards a more inclusive society.”
The program witnessed participation from members of the FICCI FLO Uttarakhand Chapter, who engaged in insightful discussions and exchanged ideas on driving positive social change.
