Anymore6055 at 13:16, 10 February 2026

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{{Use Indian English|date=June 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2016}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Agniva Lahiri
| image =
| imagesize =
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| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1979|8|22}}
| birth_place = Kolkata
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|2016|9|20|1979|8|22}}
| death_place =
| restingplace =
| restingplacecoordinates =
| othername =
| occupation = [[LGBTQ]] [[Social activist]]
| yearsactive =
| spouse =
| domesticpartner =
| children =
| parents =
| website = {{URL|http://www.pluskolkata.org/|People Like Us (PLUS) Kolkata}}
| awards =
}}
{{LGBTQ sidebar}}
'''Agniva Lahiri''' (22 August 1979 – 20 September 2016)<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=http://www.allianceindia.org/tribute-agniva-lahiri-life-inspired/|title=A Tribute to Agniva Lahiri: A Life That Inspired - India HIV/AIDS Alliance|date=2016-09-20|work=India HIV/AIDS Alliance|access-date=2018-03-12|language=en-US}}</ref> was an Indian [[LGBTQ]] [[social activist]] from [[Kolkata]], who was active in promoting the causes of the [[transgender]] members of the community. Lahiri founded ''People Like Us (PLUS) Kolkata'', a [[Non Governmental Organization]], in 2001 and served as its executive director.<ref name="Interview" /> Lahiri was also associated with ''Network of Asia Pacific Youth'' as a coordinator for policy research and international advocacy.<ref name="Youth">{{cite web | url=http://www.youthcoalition.org/wp-content/uploads/spring_2005.pdf | title=Youth | date=2014 | accessdate=16 July 2014 | archive-date=26 July 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140726232414/http://www.youthcoalition.org/wp-content/uploads/spring_2005.pdf | url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="NAPY 1">{{cite web | url=http://profiles.tigweb.org/agnivalahiri | title=NAPY 1 | date=2014 | accessdate=17 July 2014}}</ref>

==Biography==
Agniva Lahiri was born on 22 August 1979,<ref name="A Tribute to Agniva Lahiri: A Life That Inspired">{{cite web | url=http://www.allianceindia.org/tribute-agniva-lahiri-life-inspired/ | title=A Tribute to Agniva Lahiri: A Life That Inspired | publisher=Alliance India | date=20 September 2016 | accessdate=21 September 2016}}</ref> biologically a male, to a government servant and an economics school teacher, as the youngest of their three children, in Kolkata, India. Lahiri's early schooling was in Ramakrishna Mission Residential School and graduate studies at [[Asutosh College]], Kolkata. Subsequently, Lahiri took master's degree in [[Bengali Literature]] from [[University of Calcutta]] and another master's degree in [[Sociology]] from Nagarjuna University, Kolkata<ref name="Interview">{{cite interview | url=http://intersections.anu.edu.au/issue22/chandra_interview.htm | title=Interview | date=2014 | accessdate=16 July 2014 | last=Lahiri | first=Agniva | subject-link=Interview with Agniva Lahiri - An Activist Transgender located in Kolkata | interviewer=Subhash Chandra | location=Kolkata}}</ref> and is pursuing higher studies at University of Melbourne.<ref name="Youth" />

The realization that feminine emotions ruled within a biologically male body came to Lahiri at a very early age. This drew a lot of criticism from Lahiri's teachers and fellow students. But the discriminatory treatments did not stop Lahiri from making the decision to accept oneself as the [[other gender]].<ref name="Interview" />

Lahiri died on 20 September 2016, reportedly due to liver failure.<ref name=":0" />

==Social activism==
Agniva Lahiri's social career started with joining a forum called ''Pratyay'', a division of ''Praajak'', a [[Gay community|gay]] support forum started in 1992 on Kolkata.<ref name="Praajak">{{cite web | url=https://www.praajak.org/ | title=Praajak | accessdate=17 July 2014 | url-status=dead | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141218002138/http://praajak.org/ | archivedate=18 December 2014 | df=dmy-all }}</ref> Lahiri also started a newsletter called ''Pratyay Arshi Nagar'',<ref name="Newsletter">{{cite web | url=http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list_mail.sarai.net/2004-April/003597.html | title=Newsletter | accessdate=17 July 2014 | archive-date=24 July 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140724183852/http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list_mail.sarai.net/2004-April/003597.html | url-status=dead }}</ref> with contributions even from the college faculty. The newsletter later grew to be a newspaper by name, Manashi.<ref name="Interview" />

Lahiri's social activism was kickstarted by an incident on 7 December 2003, with the assault by a group of people. Lahiri filed a complaint with the local police who declined to register a formal case against the perpetrators. Lahiri and colleagues persisted and were successful in getting a [[First Information Report]] filed.<ref name="Interview" />

Lahiri has been involved with the ''Network of Asia Pacific Youth''<ref name="NAPY blog">{{cite web | url=https://networkofasiapacificyouth.blogspot.ae/ | title=NAPY blog | accessdate=17 July 2014}}</ref> as a coordinator in the research on ''sexual culture and its relevance in the area of HIV intervention and prevention program''.<ref name="Youth" /> Lahiri's past associations are with [[UNICEF]] ROSA<ref name="Rosa">{{cite web | url=http://www.unicef.org/rosa/ | title=Rosa | accessdate=17 July 2014}}</ref> in 2002 on [[Child welfare]], with ''Gender and AIDS Training Institute'' (GATI).<ref name="Youth" /> and with UNFPA as a young researcher.<ref name="Interview" />

Lahiri is presently the Executive Director of ''People Like Us (PLUS) Kolkata''<ref name="Plus">{{cite web|url=http://www.hivapcop.org/community-feature/people-us-plus |title=Plus |accessdate=17 July 2014 |url-status=usurped |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808063140/http://www.hivapcop.org/community-feature/people-us-plus |archivedate=8 August 2014 }}</ref> which runs a destitute home in Kolkata called '''Prothoma''', offering shelter for the victims of [[human trafficking]] and unsafe migration and standing up against the violence meted out to them.<ref name="Interview" /> The activities have attracted public attention and [[UNAIDS]] (United Nations AIDS Program) released a small grant of {{INR}} 400,000 with which Lahiri organised a forum for [[transgender]] people by name, the ''Indian Network of Male Sex Workers''. The forum now has 22 branches in 14 states of India.<ref name="Interview" />

==People Like Us (PLUS) Kolkata==
Agniva Lahiri started the establishment of an organization for transgender people and gender variant men in 2000 and informally started the organization, '''People Like Us (PLUS) Kolkata''' in 2001. The organization was registered as an NGO in March 2003.<ref name="Interview" /><ref name="Plus" /> The organization is working as a social forum for the rights of gender variant men and is involved in the HIV and AIDS related activities such as:
* prevention
* counselling, training and rehabilitation
* research
* intervention in issues like human trafficking

==See also==
{{Portal|LGBTQ}}
* [[Gender neutrality]]
* [[LGBT community]]
* [[LGBT rights by country or territory]]
* [[LGBT social movements]]
* [[List of LGBT-related organizations]]
* [[List of transgender-related topics]]
* [[PLUS Kolkata]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20140725224214/http://www.allianceindia.org/publications/76497-Curriculum%20Guide.pdf Pehchan Training Curriculum]
* [http://www.in.undp.org/content/dam/india/docs/msm_publications.pdf UNDP leaflet] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140725191902/http://www.in.undp.org/content/dam/india/docs/msm_publications.pdf |date=25 July 2014 }}
* [http://intersections.anu.edu.au/issue22/chandra_interview.htm Interview abstract]
* [http://www.lgbt-education.info/en/members/member?id=109 Profile on LGBT Info] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140726022038/http://www.lgbt-education.info/en/members/member?id=109 |date=26 July 2014 }}
* [http://www.laweekly.com/informer/2008/08/06/aids-conference-take-2-introduction-to-hijra LA Weekly]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20140711130114/http://www.tarshi.net/asiasrc/asprg/as_programme.asp Asia SRC]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20140725221921/http://www.tgeu.org/TvT_global_panel-discussion_Trans-Rights_Are_Human-Rights Global Panel]
* [http://profiles.tigweb.org/agnivalahiri Profile on Taking it Global]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKl9DXe5E8c Interview on YouTube]
{{LGBT |main=expanded}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lahiri, Agniva}}
[[Category:1979 births]]
[[Category:2016 deaths]]
[[Category:Indian transgender women]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian LGBTQ people]]
[[Category:Indian LGBTQ rights activists]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian LGBTQ people]]
[[Category:Activists from West Bengal]]

Agniva Lahiri - Revision history

Anymore6055 at 13:16, 10 February 2026