Gay pride march organisers hopeful even as cops deny permission

The Queer Azaadi March is a Pride Parade held in Mumbai every year. File pic

Mumbai's Gay Pride March, also known as the Queer Azaadi March (QAM), has been stopped in its tracks by the Mumbai police. The 12th edition of the annual march was to take place on February 1 on a familiar route - starting at August Kranti Maidan (Gowalia Tank) and going towards Kennedy Bridge, ahead and back to the start point. The city's rainbow warriors will now have to settle for a congregation at Azad Maidan.

The police denied permission on the grounds that the queer march would see participants shout anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and anti-National Register of Citizens (NRC) slogans. The fear is that the parade, with thousands of participants, will be roiled by violence.

There are security concerns given the flashpoint the CAA, NRC are. The community grapevine is abuzz about how the police have some credible evidence about certain groups hijacking the Pride platform to press for their anti-NRC/CAA agenda, which might spiral into a law and order situation.

A letter dated January 29, from the Gamdevi police station to Humsafar Trust, a non-profit working in the queer space and one of the organisers of the March, states
that anti-CAA/NRC protesters within the March might create problems and hence permission had been denied.

Tinesh Chopade of Humsafar said, "The cops told us that they had supported us and the community earlier, but they cannot compromise the security of more than 10,000 people. They asked us to move our Pride gathering to a protest site at Azad Maidan."

Harish Iyer, QAM organiser, said, "We are working to get permissions for the original route. Let us see what happens. The police said that we have to ensure there are
no anti-CAA/NRC banners. We cannot go to each person and check the slogans on the banners they will carry."

Iyer added, "The state government has claimed that it is against CAA, but now it seems ironical that a Pride March is being stopped based on a fear that participants would carry anti-CAA/NRC posters. Security problems can occur at any event, so does that mean one should not have an event at all? I hope we do get permissions for the March," he finished.

Mumbai's Anish Gawande, creator of Pink List India, the country's first archive of queer-friendly politicians, said, "Pride has to be inter-sectional. As queer persons, who recognise one form of oppression, we cannot stand for another kind of oppression, which is CAA/NRC. It will be a shame if this Pride March is not allowed and a blot that will stay for many years to come."

Maintaining a stoic approach, Gawande said that the March would take place.

"The state government and other leaders, who spoke out against CAA, must now put their words into action."

Yet, Pradeep Divkigar, one of the founder members of Sweekar, a support group of parents of queer children, said, "Though I am retired now, I have worked in a government department earlier and I know where the police are coming from. Their fears are not unfounded. They have their reasons and a valid point of view. I am just disappointed that a genuine and wonderful event will lose its punch because of these reasons. Sweekar had made some witty banners based on the queer cause. I hope for some turnaround, something that may help us hold the March after all." He added with a laugh, "Help us fly the Pride rainbow flags and posters high through SoBo."

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