The Indian Railways has taken a remarkable step towards social progress and inclusivity by setting up a ‘trans tea stall’ at the Guwahati railway platform. The North East Frontier Railway and the All Assam Transgender Association are the brainchild behind the initiative. The bright pink-colored tea stall has been heavily decorated and is managed by members of the transgender community who sells tea, cold drinks, fruit juice and biscuits.

Billionaire Anand Mahindra lauded this initiative and praised Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw for being progressive. In his tweet, he mentioned that this small initiative is as transformational as the other progressive projects, and most importantly, it excludes no one. Twitter users also flooded the comment section to gush about the inclusive initiative.

It is heartening to see that initiatives like these are becoming more common in recent years. Companies are now also suggested to include more trans people in their talent hunt and D&I programmes. One Twitter user wrote that all companies should have started some percentage of hiring them on a compulsory basis as well.

Assam Transgender Welfare Board Associate Vice Chairman Swati Bidhan Baruah stated her hope that more trans and gender non-conforming people would be empowered and able to find productive employment under various government programs. In order to empower members of the trans and queer communities, NF Railways aims to open additional tea shops at other train stations in the region.

This initiative showcases the progressive nature of India and the importance of inclusivity. Small steps like these can have a significant impact in promoting social progress and inclusion in society.