Rituparna Neog
Birthplace:
Jorhat, Assam
Residence:
Guwahati, Assam
Qualification:
Master’s in Social Work from TATA Institute of Social Science (Guwahati)
Inspiration:
Her mother and every other person fighting to survive
CHAMPIONING LOVE, COEXISTENCE, & JUSTICE
Rituparna Neog is a courageous queer feminist activist, poet, and storyteller from Assam who has become a bold voice for the marginalized. As the Founder of Akam Foundation, she has created safe spaces and championed gender justice. As the Associate Vice Chairperson of the State Transgender Welfare Board and a representative on the National Council of Transgender Persons, she is helping rewrite policies to reflect true equality. Above all, she is redefining futures through radical acts of love, language of coexistence and empowerment.
Queer feminist activist and development sector worker, Rituparna Neog does not want to be framed solely through the lens of survival. “I don’t want my story to be defined by the hurdles and challenges I’ve faced.” Instead, she says, “I’d rather share my journey, not as a series of challenges, but more as a testament to how we shape our lives through them.” She does not discount the challenges, but she sees them as an opportunity to grow. Where does this courage of conviction come from?
Building Courage of Conviction
Rituparna was born on September 18, 1994, in Jorhat, Assam in a modest household, watching her mother, Deepmani, manage the family’s agricultural land, while quietly challenging patriarchal norms. Rituparna recalls how her mother was not allowed to wear anything other than traditional Assamese attires. “She wasn’t even allowed to wear a salwar kameez because, traditionally, Assamese housewives are expected to dress only in customary attire. She would often say, ‘I don’t want to wear this—I want to wear a salwar kameez, I want to wear a nightdress.’She had to fight for that. Imagine having to fight for the freedom to wear a nightdress.”
While her mother fought patriarchy, Rituparna was challenging gender norms both at home and school. Her father, Deban Kumar, initially struggled to accept her gender identity but gradually understood. Looking back, she says, “It takes time to reach that level of self-acceptance. Now that he has reached that level, he understands better.”
School was a more intense battleground, with Rituparna facing relentless bullying from classmates and even teachers, nearly driving her to drop out of school.
Despite all this, Rituparna remembers her childhood days as some of the most beautiful ones. “Many people don’t remember much about their childhood, but I often find myself going back to mine. It was a carefree time—going to school, coming back to play with friends, reading, just enjoying life. Pure joy.”
This joy came from finding shelter in the school library. Here she found solace and quiet courage to rise above the bullying and disparagement through the comfort of books that became her friends. She adds, “The library became my safe space, and I wanted it to become a safe space for everyone who was alienated. I knew then that I wanted to build a library of my own.”
This became her Raison d’être – creating safe spaces and becoming a voice for the marginalised youth.
Champion of Advocacy
Rituparna’s life as an activist began during her sociology studies at Cotton College, Guwahati, where she noticed a glaring gap in India’s LGBTQIA+ movement. She observed that urban activists often ignored rural realities.
She says, “In 2015, while I was in college, there wasn’t much discourse happening on LGBTQIA+ rights, although some work was being done. I became involved in those efforts, but I always felt our movement needed to expand. I couldn’t help but think about my friends from rural areas, the ones who were often ignored, and it felt like no one was listening to me.”
The turning point in Rituparna’s life came when she enrolled in Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Guwahati, for a Master’s in Social Work.
“I told myself, ‘Why wait for someone else to act on my behalf? Why expect others to do something? Why don’t I step up and do it myself?’ That’s when I started working on transgender issues and mobilizing people from rural Assam, from my small town. I began traveling extensively.”
Rituparna could relate to the isolation that her people were facing. “It made me realise that if we are to move forward, we need to organize and bring more people together.”
From Paper to Practice & Impact
Rituparna’s advocacy operates on two fronts – grassroots empowerment and systemic reform.
The Foundation’s leadership development initiatives are the ideal representation of how empowerment can change lives. She says, “Through our leadership development initiatives, we’ve nurtured approximately 50 emerging leaders across two cohorts of 25 each. “The measurable impact of this work speaks for itself— many alumni have gone on to complete master’s degrees, secure competitive fellowships like Teach For India, and apply their skills in meaningful ways.”
She adds, “These outcomes aren’t just statistics; they represent a growing ripple effect of empowerment, proving that investing in people transforms communities.”
Yet, she faces resistance. Lack of funding is a huge hurdle. Rituparna feels that though the rights are protected on paper through progressive judgements and laws, there is a critical piece missing. She says, “There is no consistent government funding. I’m not referring to NGO grants, but systemic budget allocations for essential components.
She drives home the point with two telling examples. She says, “Let us first look at transgender student scholarships. These require dedicated annual budget allocations, not just a one-time provision. Second is shelter homes – the current numbers are inadequate to meet demand. What we really need is exponential scaling of these essential services.”
Language of Love
Rituparna is an activist, development sector worker, poet and storyteller. She is also the Associate Vice Chairperson of the State Transgender Welfare Board and a representative on the National Council of Transgender Persons.
She has a vital seat at the table to affect and change policies, something Rituparna does not take lightly and has put her full might behind.
Her work transcends activism – it is also an act of radical motherhood. Her bond with the queer community has transitioned gradually into maternal love. Rituparna says, “Over the years, I found myself becoming a parental figure, particularly to young individuals. But it was not performative. Like all real mothering, it grew through shared survival and being the steady hand that says, ‘I’m here.’ Now when they call me ‘maa,’ it is not because of biology, but the deeper connection of being a chosen family.’, she adds.
Rituparna is on a mission that still has many more chapters to be written. She says, “The most important chapters are still being written – by all of us, together.”
The work she has done so far speaks what she calls “the language of love”. For real change to happen, she emphasises that we must stop seeing empowerment as a charity. “Instead”, she says, “We must recognize it as our shared inheritance.”
Rituparna is a bold voice, speaking truth to power, who has put into practice her ‘language of love to transform lives, one gesture of love and empowerment at a time.
A LIBRARY, A LIFELINE
Rituparna’s resolve of establishing a library was realised with the launch of Kitape Kotha Koi community library. It was also the foundation of Akam Foundation. She says, “Books have been my greatest ally. Reading empowered me as a trans person, giving me strength to think critically, articulate my truth, and stand firm in my identity.”
At its core, Akam Foundation is driven by her passion for gender justice and free, accessible libraries. “These causes are deeply personal to me—as a transgender individual, advocating for gender equity is not just a mission but a necessity.”
Known as a library educator, Rituparna uses all available platforms to create awareness and emphasize the importance of free community spaces that foster inclusion, including the recent Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF), where she was invited to be a speaker.
MESSAGE OF COLLECTIVE INHERTIANCE
Rituparna’s message to her community and to the world is very simple – real empowerment does not come from charity. It comes from collective inheritance of love, not fear. This becomes the compass that guides us to build communities and relate to one another. To foster real inclusion, we must unlearn division. We must look beyond the labels, into hearts and minds. Only then is an equitable world possible.
FIVE FACTS ABOUT RITUPARNA
She loves saris and especially handlooms.
She loves northeastern food. Anything and everything!
A science fiction film buff, Rituparna’s favourite movies are Gravity, Interstellar, and The Martian.
Her favourite books include ‘Totto-Chan: The Little Girl at the Window’ by Tetsuko Kuroyanagi and ‘The Why-Why Girl’ by Mahasweta Devi.
She was once a super fan of actress Madhuri Dixit and Bollywood films.
