Sangama

Sangama is a human-rights and community-support organization based in Bangalore, India. Founded in 1999 by Manohar Elavarthi, it initially operated as a documentation and counseling center for sexual minorities in the Bangalore region. Its early work provided counseling and research materials to LGBT-focused scholars and created a forum where social activists and English-speaking LGBT people could exchange information and organize. Over time, Sangama broadened its role from a documentation center into an LGBT rights and HIV-prevention NGO. Its programs have included HIV/AIDS information and prevention, legal assistance, community outreach, safe drop-in services, documentation of police harassment, and public mobilization against sexual discrimination. The organization has focused particularly on people who are often excluded from English-language advocacy and formal services, including working-class and non-English-speaking Kothi and Hijra communities, transgender people, sex workers and people living with HIV. Sangama's outreach model has included fieldworkers visiting cruising areas and locations where sex workers work in order to hear about abuse, harassment, health concerns and other problems. It has also operated separate outreach initiatives for gay men and transgender people, linking community members to drop-in sessions and support networks. Through collaboration with other organizations, Sangama has participated in HIV-prevention work under the Lasyakairali Pehchan project and helped develop community-based initiatives such as Samara, which implemented HIV-prevention programs in Bangalore Urban District. The organization has also combined service delivery with legal and political advocacy. Sangama has assisted sexual-minority and transgender people who faced police abuse, detention or criminal charges connected to their sexual orientation or gender identity, while tracking police harassment in Karnataka. In 2008, representatives supporting five arrested Hijras reported being redirected to another police station and beaten. The group continued to campaign for transgender rights and institutional change. Sangama has used cultural production and public events as part of its advocacy. In cooperation with the Karnataka Sex Workers Union and Pedestrian Films, it supported the 2012 feature film Let the Butterflies Fly. Although the film was rejected by the Bangalore Film Festival, it later received an award at the Kashish Mumbai International Queer Film Festival. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Sangama organized financial relief for sex workers and transgender people. With a reported donation of Rs. 1.5 lakh from Arundhati Roy, the organization raised approximately Rs. 10 lakh and distributed Rs. 2,000 payments to beneficiaries across multiple Karnataka districts, with help from the Karnataka Sex Workers Union and Uttar Karnataka Mahila Ookutta. Its advocacy also contributed to a Karnataka government decision in 2021 to provide one percent reservation for transgender people in public recruitment across relevant merit and socially disadvantaged categories. Sangama's identity is therefore rooted less in consumer products than in direct community support, rights advocacy, HIV prevention and grassroots mobilization.

Sangama was established in Bangalore in 1999 by Manohar Elavarthi. Its first institutional form was a documentation center and counseling service for sexual minorities. It assembled research materials for scholars studying LGBT issues in the Bangalore area and hosted discussions that brought together social activists and English-speaking LGBT participants. Arunesh Maiyer, Shubha Chacko and Arvind Narrain were among the early board members. The organization gradually moved beyond information and counseling. As its understanding of local community needs developed, Sangama added HIV/AIDS education, prevention seminars, legal assistance, transgender-rights mobilization and safe drop-in facilities. This expansion reflected a deliberate focus on people who were poorly served by mainstream LGBT organizations and public institutions. Sangama worked with non-English-speaking, working-class Kothi and Hijra communities, sex workers, transgender people and people living with HIV in Karnataka and Kerala. Its outreach workers visited cruising locations and street-based sex-work areas to gather information about harassment, violence, health risks and other urgent needs. Separate outreach efforts targeted gay men and transgender people, and the resulting contacts helped connect community members with Sangama's drop-in sessions. The organization also maintained a legal and monitoring role, assisting people who had been abused, detained or charged by police because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. In 2008, representatives who went to support five arrested Hijras reported being diverted to another police station and beaten. Sangama used such incidents to sustain its opposition to police abuse and discriminatory treatment. Sangama's work has included partnerships with community-based organizations. It participated in the Lasyakairali Pehchan HIV-prevention project, which supported local groups in developing prevention strategies for LGBT communities. Samara, an organization implementing HIV-prevention programs in Bangalore Urban District, emerged from Sangama's work. These relationships illustrate the group's emphasis on building community capacity rather than relying solely on a centralized service model. The organization also pursued cultural advocacy. Together with the Karnataka Sex Workers Union and Pedestrian Films, Sangama was involved in the production of Let the Butterflies Fly, a feature-length film released in 2012. The film was not accepted by the Bangalore Film Festival but won an award at the Kashish Mumbai Festival, giving visibility to issues affecting sex workers and sexual minorities. During the COVID-19 crisis, Sangama organized emergency assistance for sex workers and transgender people in Bangalore Rural, Hasan, Bidar, Yadgir, Ramanagara, Haveri, Gadag, Raichur, Koppala, Kolar, Chikmagalur and Uttar Kannada. A reported donation of Rs. 1.5 lakh from Arundhati Roy formed part of approximately Rs. 10 lakh raised for the effort. Each selected beneficiary received Rs. 2,000, with distribution assistance from the Karnataka Sex Workers Union and Uttar Karnataka Mahila Ookutta. Sangama also pursued structural reform through litigation and government advocacy. Its engagement with the Karnataka High Court and the state government contributed to a May 13, 2021 notification establishing one percent reservation for transgender people in recruitment in merit, Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and Backward Classes categories. By this stage, Sangama's history had developed from a small documentation and counseling initiative into a broad human-rights platform combining health prevention, legal services, grassroots organizing, emergency relief, public culture and policy change.

• 2021

  Karnataka announces transgender recruitment reservation

  [1]Sangama (human rights group)en.wikipedia.org

  After advocacy involving Sangama, Karnataka discloses a notification providing one percent reservation for transgender people in public recruitment.

• 2020

  COVID-19 relief is distributed

  [1]Sangama (human rights group)en.wikipedia.org

  Sangama organizes financial support for sex workers and transgender people across multiple Karnataka districts.

• 2016

  Arunesh Maiyer becomes board president

  [1]Sangama (human rights group)en.wikipedia.org

  Arunesh Maiyer is identified as Sangama's board president from 2016.

• 2012

  Let the Butterflies Fly is released

  [1]Sangama (human rights group)en.wikipedia.org

  Sangama collaborates with the Karnataka Sex Workers Union and Pedestrian Films on a feature film that later receives recognition at the Kashish Mumbai Festival.

• 2008

  Representatives report police assault while supporting arrested Hijras

  [1]Sangama (human rights group)en.wikipedia.org

  Sangama representatives supporting five arrested Hijras reported being redirected to another police station and beaten, reinforcing the organization's police-monitoring and legal-advocacy work.

• 1999

  Sangama is founded in Bangalore

  [1]Sangama (human rights group)en.wikipedia.org

  Manohar Elavarthi establishes Sangama as a documentation center and counseling service for sexual minorities.

A grassroots Indian LGBT rights and HIV-prevention organization centered on marginalized, working-class and non-English-speaking communities, with an integrated model combining outreach, counseling, legal assistance, health education, emergency relief and policy advocacy.

• Community services · 1999

  LGBTQ+ counseling and drop-in support

  Sangama provides counseling, safe drop-in access and community connection for sexual minorities and transgender people, with particular attention to working-class and non-English-speaking communities that may face exclusion from mainstream services.

• Public health programs

  HIV prevention and health education

  The organization conducts HIV/AIDS information and prevention activities for LGBT communities, sex workers and people living with HIV. It has also worked through partnership programs to strengthen prevention strategies among community-based organizations.

• Human-rights services

  Legal aid and police-harassment monitoring

  Sangama assists sexual minorities who face police harassment, detention, abuse or criminal charges connected to sexual orientation or gender identity. Its work includes documenting incidents and advocating for transgender and sexual-minority rights.

• Film and cultural advocacy · 2012

  Let the Butterflies Fly

  A feature-length film produced in collaboration with the Karnataka Sex Workers Union and Pedestrian Films. The project extended Sangama's advocacy into cultural production and received an award at the Kashish Mumbai Festival after being rejected by the Bangalore Film Festival.

• 2021Transgender reservation advocacy

  Karnataka, India

  Sangama and programme officer Nisha Gulur pursued advocacy and court engagement seeking formal employment protections for transgender people.

  Outcome. The Karnataka government disclosed a May 13 notification granting one percent reservation for transgender people in recruitment across specified categories.

  Source
• 2020COVID-19 community relief

  Karnataka, India

  Sangama raised funds and distributed emergency payments to sex workers and transgender people across numerous Karnataka districts during the COVID-19 crisis.

  Outcome. Recipients received Rs. 2,000 each, with distribution assistance from the Karnataka Sex Workers Union and Uttar Karnataka Mahila Ookutta.

  Source
• 2012Let the Butterflies Fly

  India

  Sangama collaborated with the Karnataka Sex Workers Union and Pedestrian Films on a feature-length film addressing marginalized sexual communities and sex workers.

  Outcome. The film was rejected by the Bangalore Film Festival but won an award at the Kashish Mumbai Festival.

  Source

• 2021

  Pursue transgender reservation through legal and government advocacyStrategy

  Background

  Transgender people faced structural exclusion from public employment, prompting Sangama to approach the Karnataka High Court and engage the state government.

  Action taken

  Sangama and Nisha Gulur pursued the issue through the court and government channels.

  Aftermath

  The government disclosed a May 13, 2021 notification providing one percent recruitment reservation for transgender people in multiple categories.

  Source

• 2021

  Karnataka introduces transgender reservation after advocacy[1]Sangama (human rights group)en.wikipedia.org

  Regulation · Other

  Following advocacy and legal action involving Sangama and programme officer Nisha Gulur, the Karnataka government disclosed a May 13 notification providing one percent reservation for transgender people in recruitment across specified merit and social-category classifications.

• 2020

  Sangama organizes COVID-19 relief for sex workers and transgender people[1]Sangama (human rights group)en.wikipedia.org

  Campaign · Other

  Sangama raised approximately Rs. 10 lakh, including a reported Rs. 1.5 lakh donation from Arundhati Roy, and distributed Rs. 2,000 relief payments to sex workers and transgender people across several Karnataka districts.

• 2012

  Sangama supports the feature film Let the Butterflies Fly[1]Sangama (human rights group)en.wikipedia.org

  Campaign · Other

  Sangama worked with the Karnataka Sex Workers Union and Pedestrian Films on a feature film addressing the lives and concerns of marginalized sexual communities. The film was rejected by the Bangalore Film Festival but later received an award at the Kashish Mumbai Festival.

1. 1Sangama (human rights group)en.wikipedia.org