Economic independence is vital for inclusivity of the LGBTQI (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex Life) community. Doing this is Vadodara royal family’s Radhikaraje Gaekwad who launched a two-day trial run of her upcoming Gajra cafe — to be managed by this community — at the Urja 2022 exhibition.

The aim of the Lakshya Trust which is helming the Gajra Café is to bring the community into mainstream society. The Trust is patronised by Manvendrasinh Gohil of the Rajpipla royal family.

Urja 2022 is exhibiting handcrafted works of 25 artisans at the Shree Maharani Chimnabai Stree Udyogalaya, and the proceeds from this event will be used to start the Gajra Café in a few months.

Interacting with the media during Urja 2022, Gaekwad who is Vice-President of SMCSU said: “We are doing a two-day trial of the cafe… The cafe will serve a specialty Maharashtrian and Gujarati menu. The recipes are made in people’s homes and they won’t be available anywhere so easily.”

Explaining the rationale behind the café she said: “The idea is to build a better atmosphere in the society…During the lockdown, the LGBTQI community was going through a tough time. So we thought what would be better than bringing them for professional collaboration? It is an attempt to bring them into the mainstream society.”