Ridim for life
This is a story about an assigned female at birth(AFAB) person
called Ridim who identifies as a trans man lives in Konnagar a
place which is an hour away from kolkata. He is the only earning
member of his family. Before the pandemic he committed herself
into various range of jobs to feed his family. He worked as a security
guard in a factory, a bar tender, a swimming instructor, a nurse.
But all hell broke loose when he lost his last job before the pandemic.
Despite all the conflicts within his family regarding his orientation and
the androgynous nature he went against all the odds in the society to
maintain his dignity. Post lockdown he began selling flowers in his locality
overlooking the awkward stares among his neighbours . Almost everyday
he used to travel early in the morning around 3 am covering 25kms in his
bicycle alone to buy flowers from kolkata flower market during the lockdown
period. Although he finished his high secondary education he never imagined
himself selling flowers oneday but this pandemic taught him that no job is
small when it comes to the question of his family's health and security.
Happy Pride month .
Paromita Chatterjee/Documentary Photographer