A next-gen solution to homophobic trolls and a brand empowering weavers in Odisha–our top stories of the week

Right from their school days, Aindriya Barua’s (they/them) identity as a queer, neurodivergent artist was as central to them as it set them apart—often making them a prime target for bullies. 

Barua often found their own little sanctuary under the desk or behind the cupboards, illustrating, writing code, and journaling, about the challenges of navigating these identities in an intolerant environment.

Countless such musings over many years have positioned Barua at an important social and cultural juncture today, as the founder of ShhorAI, an AI-powered bot built to combat hate speech on social media, with a special focus on marginalised community safety.

Barua’s algorithm can scan, identify, and categorise hate speech in text. Besides Hinglish, the bot can also be trained to detect offensive content in regional and vernacular languages. It can detect code-mixed typing, wherein even asterisks, exclamations and other symbols used in an expletive can be detected by taking into account the context of their use.

Read more about their venture here.

Levelling the playing field

Jen and Yaiphabi are members of the trans men football team in Manipur. Being a part of the team has allowed them to embrace their identity more confidently. The 15-member team is formed by Ya_All, a UN-recognised LGBTQI+ youth-led organisation in Imphal, which promotes LGBTQIA+ inclusion in India.

Every year, the organisation organises Queer Games in the pride month for the LGBTQI community. The football team also competes against other schools and local organisations, including men’s and women’s teams, to raise awareness. The team is creating a safe space for the community while fostering inclusion in sports.

Empowering weaving communities in Odisha

Odisha is home to many indigenous textiles and is a treasure trove of unique stories. Boito, a brand founded by Richa Maheshwari, aims to preserve these stories and art forms and empower weaver communities and uplift them financially.

Boito has onboarded four Odia women from the Bonda community to make the Ringa weave. It also works with the Mirgans in Kotpad for Kotpad textiles, and the communities in Nuapatna and Sambalpur for Ikat. The brand is also exploring Kerang textiles woven by the Gadaba community in Koraput. It works with artisans in Rayagada for metal accessories.

Boito does trench coats and all kinds of jackets, as they provide more scope for storytelling and are easy to wear.

Meanwhile, in other news…

Help and hope for the disabled

Thirty-year-old Jasveer Kumar Singh from Bihar’s Vaishali district is always at the forefront when it comes to uplifting the disabled. Singh, a 90% physically disabled person and a resident of Chainpur Baghel village, is always available to assist those in need.

According to a report in The New Indian Express, Singh began holding janta darbars in his village to address challenges faced by the physically disabled. He assists the disabled by helping them in filing applications for the monthly disability pension of Rs 400 from the state government. 

The report adds that in 2011, he founded the ‘Vaishali Viklang Kalyan Sangh’ to address the grievances of the disabled in his district. 

Through this organisation and with the support of the district administration, ‘vaishakhis’ (walking sticks) and tricycles were distributed to those in need. “At least 500-600 disability certificates have been issued to the concerned individuals on the initiative of the Sangh,” he said.