THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Turning a ceremonial evening into a statement on inclusion, Governor Rajendra Arlekar’s Independence Day ‘At Home’ reception saw members of the transgender community share the main dais with Padma awardees and freedom fighters on Saturday.
Twelve members of the transgender community were among the special invitees to the event. Children with disabilities were also honoured as special guests, a practice Arlekar started last year.
The dais included Padma awardees, freedom fighters, MLAs, representatives of foreign missions, representatives of the armed forces and religious leaders.
The presence of transgender representatives, according to the Raj Bhavan, was to convey a message of equality and dignity and to reaffirm that every section in the society has an equal place in public life.
The event, held in the evening on the lush green lawns of Lok Bhavan, recalled the sacrifices of freedom fighters while emphasising the need to strengthen national unity and integrity.
Smaller guest list
This year’s At Home was noted for the smaller guest list. A source in the Raj Bhavan said: “The guest list was trimmed this time to keep crowd numbers manageable. Last year there were around 900 attendees. This year, we scaled down to about 600,” he told TNIE.