Pride Beyond Labels: A chat with Saathi FacAd Prof Abhijit Majumder

This Pride Month, Insight got a chance to engage in conversation with Professor Abhijit Majumder from the Department of Chemical Engineering, who also serves as the faculty advisor of Saathi, IITB’s LGBTQ+ support group. In this wholesome interview, Prof Majumder delves into his experiences, what ‘pride’ means for him and his vision for better inclusivity.

1. Could you share a bit about how you came to understand your orientation/identity?

It’s the way everyone comes to know about their identity- every person knows for themselves as they grow up. Knowing about your orientation is not a revelation but rather a process.

2. What has been the good and bad with coming out?

For me, there were no bad consequences. It was easy to come out at a place like IITB which is relatively inclusive, so the chances of bad consequences were anyway low. I am also privileged in every sense – coming from an upper-class, general-caste background in a metro city, being educated and English-speaking etc. I already have a lot of safeguards in various places. For example, it matters a lot whether you have a private bedroom or not, if a person does not have a personal living space then their life and experiences are very different. I was privileged enough to have these facilities. However, a student who might be coming from a more conservative background, or a faculty member in a university which is not progressive, might face a huge backlash for coming out or expressing themselves. What I am trying to highlight is that while my experience was good and not at all traumatic, one should not consider the same to be the case for all other people.

3. Are there any role models or figures in academia who have inspired you?

Well if I talk in general, that is in terms of teaching and research solely, there are a lot of people who have had an impact on me, and I cannot possibly name each one of them. I have juvenile arthritis due to which I was bedridden for the whole duration of my 6th grade and a full semester during my BTech. During this time in my BTech days, when I was unwell, the way my faculty interacted with me was very helpful. My PhD and postdoc mentors were extremely supportive as well. However, if I have to mention someone from the LGBTQ+ community, it would be Alan Turing – his work and his impact have been inspiring to say the least.

4. What does Pride month mean to you & How do you celebrate Pride month?

That’s a tough question, and what I am saying is only my perspective. Celebrating Pride Month in June has a whole history behind it. However, to me, in a broader sense, if there is someone who does not fit into the boxes provided by society, whoever can think and act outside those boxes, that person is queer. And when I go to that definition of queer, then the meaning of the word goes beyond your gender identity or sexual orientation. In a family of doctors, if you want to become a painter, you are queer in that family. In that context, to me, pride is to celebrate who you are – it is not just about my sexual orientation, but rather all about celebrating who I am. Going against the norm, even within your family, is the celebration of pride- freedom of expression, freedom to be who you are without being judged or afraid of being punished.

Experience at IIT Bombay

1. How have your experiences been being a queer person in the institute? How, if at all, did your identity shape your professional and personal interactions within the campus community?

I am fortunate enough to be on this campus. When I was doing my BTech, I wanted to become a faculty of chemical engineering at IITB. As I said, compared to many other campuses in India and so-called progressive institutions, IITB is far ahead. Inclusivity is not just about one’s sexual orientation or gender identity, it is about how we celebrate that individual. If you look at IITB, the course structure is very flexible, students have freedom, we have introduced non-STEM courses like HASMED, and in a broader sense, we would like everyone to grow. On this campus, people have never intruded into my personal life. In India, when you travel by train, when you say you are single, your co-passengers ask without any second thought, “Oh so when are you getting married? Why aren’t you married yet?”, or if you are already married, “Oh tumhari shaadi ko 4 saal ho gaya abhi tak bacche kyu nahi hai [Oh you’ve been married four years now, why don’t you have kids yet?]”. The same happens with your relatives. We don’t have a proper sense of boundaries. However, personally at IITB, in the last 10 years, I have never faced any instance of someone breaching my personal life- it was very comfortable. No one judges you, even we professors go to classes in our three-quarters or our chappals and students also come like that. We don’t judge anyone for their identity or their way of living, and I think that’s our strength which should be safeguarded.

Q. How important is visibility and representation of LGBTQ+ individuals in academic institutions like IIT Bombay?

It is very very important. As you were asking about my journey, as far as the coming out was concerned, I did not declare it on a fine morning, it was a process. My coming out is very important, not only for me but mostly for other people, including the students.

Once you reach a certain level or position in your life, you can become a source of courage and comfort for others. If a person is in trouble, and if they can see someone who has been through the same set of problems and yet is doing well in their life, then that is very inspiring.

Although I have not been asked, I would want to mention- that as an individual, if someone decides to come out, I will also ask that person to do that carefully, after weighing their circumstances. If you are coming from a family who will disown you, then you do not want to come out when you are still a student. You may first want to become financially independent before coming out,  as coming out can cause a huge disruption in the life of your as well as your family members. I am certainly not dictating whether to come out or not, just don’t do it in haste; weigh your pros and cons. Don’t get into trouble or danger at that stage of your life when you are still in college.

Q. Have you seen changes in the academic environment regarding LGBTQ+ acceptance and support since you began your career?

That’s huge, I can’t think of where to start. During my PhD days at IIT Kanpur in 2004, we could not even think of having this conversation that we’re having here, with a student about topics like Pride Month, sexual orientation and gender identity. Those conversations were absent. You see on OTT platforms nowadays, there are positive portrayals, at that time either they were absent, or portrayed in a negative light, or as comic relief. The ability to have this conversation is a big step. When I was your age, it was horrible – the bullying was so rampant, homophobia was a norm and was considered to be cool. Obviously, we have moved a lot from there.

People were hesitant to use the words used to describe people in the queer community – either the words were not known or there was a hesitation to utter them out loud.

Saathi was already present in 2010 when I graduated from IITK. I and 2 other people from IITK, created a pan-IIT Facebook page called Pravritti for LGBTQ+ individuals. I don’t know the exact number, but it has grown substantially over the years. Members of Pravritti have started several similar bodies like Saathi at other IITs such as Indradhanu at IIT Delhi, Ambar at IIT Kharagpur, and Unmukt at IIT Kanpur and are creating widespread impact.

Q. What are the most pressing issues the LGBTQ+ community currently faces, especially in the institute?

So I will not just talk about our institute, but all elite institutions in the country. At face value, any institute body cannot be homophobic or transphobic, or they will face backlash. However, when it comes to reality, we need to understand that whether it is the student or non-teaching staff or a faculty member, we all come here with our own baggage. Our formative years  have a certain impact on our mental makeup. What I am trying to emphasise is that it is not just restricted to LGBTQIA+ issues – it can be related to many other things like dishing out opinions on how a girl should behave, and what she should wear. That is why it is important to have DEI or diversity, equity and inclusion awareness.

Like we have a course called GC101, we should also have DEI101. In my opinion, it should be mandated for all the people teaching or non-teaching staff as well as the students. We have observed that when we [Saathi, Gender Cell, SC-ST Cell, PWD Cell etc] organize workshops, we only see a few recognizable faces, they are the people who are already aware. The people we want to sensitize on this issue do not come at all.

So at face value, everything is hunky dory, but how open we are in terms of actually accepting diversity, is an important question that needs to be dealt with. Nowadays, we are seeing more and more clashes on campus; we are not able to address the difference of opinion, which should ironically be the core value of any university. The very definition of the word university, which is related to the word ‘universe’, mandates that everyone should have a voice and everything should be discussed in an academic arena. There should be openness to discuss things and we must be careful about this.

Should the knowledge and sensitization about LGBTQ+ issues be part of the curriculum in IIT Bombay (like Gender in the workplace), or should such topics be introduced much earlier at the school level?

The time of sensitization should ideally be in school. If we get to know the importance of diversity during our formative years, then it is the best. However, if it does not happen, it should happen at some other level, for eg,  we have an English course for students who are not as fluent. Similar courses should be there for students to inform them about diversity.

5. How can people support their LGBTQ+ colleagues and students more effectively?

Through my years in academia and research, I have had many experiences. I have seen several faculty members put a rainbow sticker on the door just to say that I’m open, I am not judging you. Now this is for the general public, if there is a film festival organised by Saathi, go, attend, and see what those movies are about. See if the lives of queer people are different or the same as your life. This can create empathy, which will make you a better person. Most of you will go to big MNCs that have a strict anti-discrimination policy, hence it is better to attend workshops and be equipped here during your time as a student.

Experience with Saathi

Q. How did you first hear about Saathi, and what motivated you to take on the role of Faculty Advisor?

I got to know about Saathi much earlier even before joining IITB. So when you join as a faculty, you put in an application and there’s a section on why you want to join IITB, I remember mentioning Saathi there. Funnily, I did not join Saathi as a faculty advisor. Instead, Saathi picked me.

Q. Could you describe your responsibilities and goals in this position?

Honestly, it is the students who do everything, they take care of everything. My job is limited to advising if they need any suggestions. Last two years we’ve had Rangavali (The annual Saathi fest), so students reached out to me and I suggested what should be there, who we should call from the institute, how we should call people etc. However, overall I would say that my job is to dress up and show up 🙂 

Q. Can you share some of the initiatives that Saathi has undertaken to support LGBTQ students under your guidance?

Rangavali was one of the main initiatives, it is the first-ever institute-specific queer event. We had a lot of guests coming from other institutes as well. The kind of bigger picture we have is to take it to the level of other institute events and make it a nationwide event. We have organised many workshops but those were happening anyway. We are thinking of collaborating more closely with the gender cell and talking about issues under the broader umbrella of diversity and inclusivity. We are also in discussion with other cells like the SC/ST cell and the PwD cell and are constantly thinking of agendas like diversity. It is important to strengthen one arm but it is also important to strengthen the whole body. 

Q. Can you share a particular moment or achievement with Saathi that you are especially proud of?

Personally, I would not claim any stake or limelight. As I said, everything was done by the students. I am proud that Rangavali happened during my tenure, but I would not say it was because of me.

Q. What advice would you give to students who are struggling with their identity or facing discrimination? How do you help them at Saathi?

If there is a harassment issue, that person should go to the gender cell or they can come to me and they can file a complaint. If someone is going through some kind of mental trauma, one can go to counselling and get professional help from the Student Wellness Centre (SWC). As far as Saathi is concerned, it is not a body that can address issues per se, it is a support group. Please come to Saathi to know that you’re not alone, you can share your experiences, and you can learn from others how to navigate through difficulties.

Q.  What are the most common misconceptions about the LGBTQ+ community that you encounter, and how does Saathi work to dispel them?

There are a plethora of misconceptions – this is western culture, this is a disease, these people are different – and people often don’t understand the difference between the various terms and identities. As part of Saathi, we organise a lot of talks, panel discussions, workshops, and movie screenings to bring awareness. The problem is that the same set of people keep coming who are already aware… we are not able to penetrate and reach a larger audience. If you come to the Kashish Film Festival (part of Rangaavali) and see 5-6 short movies, you will be able to understand the spectrum and the range of issues.

Q. Saathi events are not queer-exclusive, but there may be a common perception that anyone attending is from the LGBTQ+ community. Are you aware of this perception, and how should we address this to promote a more diverse and inclusive attendance?

It is open to all, and it is advertised in that way. It is a personal choice if someone wants to go or not. It is advertised the same way that a kathak performance would be. I don’t know where the misconception about Saathi events being queer-exclusive comes from. For example, on Women’s Day, Ratna Pathak Shah came and it was not exclusive to women, even men attended the event. 

Q. Do you think that there should be more collaborations of Saathi with other IIT Bombay clubs or a need for more dedicated and educational fests about the LGBTQ+ community to spread awareness?

I have been suggesting to people at Saathi that we need to collaborate with other bodies to increase our reach. In the Theatrefest, there was a play on this topic, and we wanted to have that play in Rangavali but that could not happen for some reasons. That gives me a good idea, Kashish should essentially collaborate with the film society (Silverscreen).

Q. Looking forward, what are your goals for Saathi, and how do you plan to achieve them?

No specific plans, I can’t think of anything for that matter. Won’t say specifically for Saathi, but in general, what I would like to do is to bring all these groups together under an umbrella, similar to the way IIT Delhi has it – they have a Dean of Diversity and Inclusion, so we can have something along those lines.

Editorial Credits: Aarya Gaikwad, Rishit Kesharwani, Ananya Jain

Design Credits: Ayush Beniwal

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