Hi Vivek, Me too, I was very moved by this profile and it also showed to me the time that has passed from when Ashok decided to come out and claim a right. Thai is why I posted it on the net. Many of the young pappus who are on the listserves now are not exactly aware of the history of the movement.
I came across this while doing my research on the book that I spoke to you about once on the way back from Kathmandu, about the history of the queer movement. I have started working on it, sort of... Luv and best, Aditya B 2009/6/20 Vivek R Anand <avive...@gmail.com> > > > Dear Adi, > > I wonder from where you dug this out. Even we dont have it. Thanks a ton. > I had met Ashok in 1995 and he would talk about the Ashoka Fellowship and > have since been working together. > I have always maintained that Ashok is a visionary and personally for me, > apart from being a parent figure, a friend, philospher and guide he is also > one of the most honest human beings i have met in my life. There is always > something to learn from him. > This piece has reaffirmed my faith in him as a visionary and that 16 years > ago he made a vision statement and has not stopped working towards achieving > results. > The only difference is that 16 years ago he worked with a set of very very > close friends like Suhail, Sridhar, Ramesh, Rakesh and few more who believed > in him and 16 years later he has an army working towards realising a dream > that he dared and told us that it was difficult but not impossible....the > struggle to realise the dream continues. > I apologise if this reads like Ashoks obituary but reading his profile for > Ashoka that you posted has made me very emotional. I am missing every one > who was and still is part of AMMA'S FAMILY but now not in Bombay > Thanks again for sharing it with us. > hugs > Vivek > > > > On Fri, Jun 19, 2009 at 8:17 PM, Aditya Bondyopadhyay <adit.b...@gmail.com > > wrote: > >> >> >> http://fellows.ashoka.org/node/2532 >> >> Ashok Row Kavi >> Country: *India* <http://fellows.ashoka.org/india> Region: >> *Asia*<http://fellows.ashoka.org/asia> Field >> Of Work: *Human Rights* <http://fellows.ashoka.org/rights> Subsectors: * >> Equality/Rights* <http://fellows.ashoka.org/search/fellows/22>, >> *HIV/AIDS/STDs* <http://fellows.ashoka.org/search/fellows/48>, >> *Media/Communications* <http://fellows.ashoka.org/search/fellows/19> Target >> Population: *GLBT (Gay Lesbian Bisexual >> Transgender)*<http://fellows.ashoka.org/search/fellows/128> Year >> Elected: 1993 >> This profile was prepared when Ashok Row Kavi was elected to the Ashoka >> Fellowship in 1993. >> >> Ashok Row Kavi is providing a formal platform for gays and lesbians–a >> group left out of mainstream life in socially conservative India–to claim >> their place in political and social arenas. Ashok encourages gays and >> lesbians to become proactively involved in public life and institutions >> through media, advocacy, cooperation and community-building. >> >> Ashok Row Kavi is attempting to increase the status and security for >> homosexuals within Indian society. He is uniting this marginalized group of >> people into an organized and vocal community with a common identity, and >> organizing it to bring pressure on political and social forces in the >> country. Ashok empowers and strengthens the gay community through >> initiatives such as social gatherings, outreach programs, counseling and >> legal education. >> >> Drawing upon his journalism background, Ashok uses the print media to >> communicate with and dispense information to gays and lesbians. His >> magazine, "Bombay Dost," is the first legally registered publication to >> focus exclusively on the issues that confront gays, lesbians and bisexuals >> and is one of the few resources in India for homosexual AIDS education. >> >> After he has strengthened gay and lesbian community identity, Ashok will >> motivate them to target and take action on specific issues. The first >> advocacy initiative will build pressure for the decriminalization of >> homosexuality. Ashok will also encourage the groups to promote and design >> AIDS prevention and safe sex campaigns. >> >> > > -- Do not print this mail unless really necessary. Save paper, save trees..!! If you loose your way while SCUBA diving, the safest direction to head for is UP..!!!
