TMC felicitates same-sex couple from Sundarbans, Abhishek calls Riya-Rakhi pride of Bengal
Times of India | 11 November 2025
Kolkata: In a rare political and social gesture, Trinamool on Monday publicly felicitated two young women from the Sundarbans who recently tied the knot — perhaps marking the first time a major political party in India has officially celebrated a same-sex marriage.
The event was attended by senior Trinamool netas and joined virtually by the party's national general secretary, Abhishek Banerjee.
"They knew the path wouldn't be easy, yet they didn't back down. I also thank the villagers whose open-hearted support made this moment possible," said the Daiamond Harbour MP. "Love means humanity and humanity is the true face of society. This is not just the wedding of two people, but the pride of Bangla and the nation," Banerjee added.
Banerjee also assured the people of Kultali that, just as he stood beside his Diamond Harbour constituency, he would ensure development and prosperity reached their village too.
The couple — 21-year-old Riya Sardar of Lakshmikantapur and 20-year-old Rakhi Naskar of Joynagar — married on November 4 at the Shanti Sangha Kali temple in Jalaberia village, defying long-held social taboos in their conservative community.
The two women, both professional dancers working with a troupe in Bihar, met last year and decided to marry despite initial opposition from Naskar's family. With the intervention of Kultali police and local panchayat officials, they were able to solemnise their marriage. "Who says only a woman can love a man or a man can love a woman?" said Riya, who wore the traditional topor usually worn by grooms. "We decided to stay together forever.
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Naskar's parents, who initially opposed the relationship, were present at the felicitation event. "Seven months of extreme stress finally eased after today's honour," said Rakhi. "We are thankful to Abhishek Banerjee for standing by us."
Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra also hailed the moment. "Two lovely women from the Sundarbans got married in a local temple with full community support. Proud to be Bengali, proud to be TMC, proud to embrace all forms of love," she posted on social media.
"A community coming together to support two women marrying each other is in itself a social recognition," said Nandini Ghosh, assistant professor of sociology at the Institute of Development Studies, Kolkata. "A political party endorsing it takes it to another level, signalling institutional acceptance."
Presidency University emeritus professor Prasanta Roy called it a "bold and timely political statement". "The villagers' acceptance reflects a slow but visible change in rural mindsets. A ruling party publicly recognising such a marriage is both a social breakthrough and a political message against conservative resistance," he said.