The Third Sex - Part 2

Well continuing from where I left, as the saying goes "Awareness burns ignorance"

My few first hand experiences didn't do much to change that. But it was only when I stumbled on an article on the Eunuchs in the Tehelka Magazine. It not only broke all my pre-conceived notions, but also made me realize that how stupid I was to make fun of them.

Read this for yourself : The Civil laws of our country deprive them of several rights such as the right to own property, right to marry, right to identity through passport, ration card, driver's license, education, employment and health.

Thanks to the ambiguity of gender, hijras are denied basic citizens' rights like a ration card, a driving license and passport by the government. In terms of employment, jobs are nil, as organizations do not employ them. "We have just four options-begging, sex work, cooking or being a fortune teller in a temple,'' says Famila. Most hijras prefer sex work as it does not require any special skill, she says. Hijra in Arabic means holy, and could have been derived from the Urdu word "Ezra" meaning a wanderer or nomad, says a study conducted by The People's Union for Civil Liberties. Hijras claim a sacred place due to their third gender status. Most hijras in India live in groups that are organized into seven gharanas or houses in Pune, Mumbai and Hyderabad.

And all these years when i used to see Eunuchs asking and pestering people for money, I used to think that they are simply "lazy" and looking for a quick source of income. Never did it struck to me that its not out of choice but by compulsion that they have to indulge in such kind of acts. Come to think of it, they don't even have the voting rights?! Why would any political party give a damn about them?

We are also to be blamed. Most of us have sometimes in our life been insensitive towards them, not because we wanted to but we weren't aware of the hardships faced by them.

Few years back, there were elections for the post of Mayor of some City in Madhya Pradesh. A Eunuch contested for the same on woman quota. "She" did win the elections and was appointed as the Mayor of the city. But her victory wasn't going to last long as in a shocking ruling a District Court ruled that since Eunuchs are not females (read they are just Eunuchs in the eyes of the law) the appointment was invalid and against the Constitution of the country. In no time, she was asked to step down.

There's more. Just do a Google search and you would come across to a plethora of atrocities against them. But are we still in a slumber?

Apparently not. The good news is that Indians are finally awakening to this reality. The other day I had a discussion with a friend of mine. Her name is Arya and she's in the process of becoming a lawyer.

Here's her take on the Eunuchs and their rights :

I read the article, it was really sad, but I wasn't surprised. Can you even imagine what you would do in their position? We, whose fragile egos and lives are hurt by 'problems' like exams, parents shouting, girlfriend/boyfriend problems, academics, 'what will happen in my future' issues... enough to make us sad, angry and send us into depression - what we do if we were people who were chronically unemployed, physically, mentally and sexually harassed, thrown into the outskirts of society? I've always strongly believed in their rights.

I'll tell you an incident in a train. Now, I go camping quite frequently, which means long journeys in the sleeper class sections of trains. The trains are a place where you get to see all the suffering and misery of our country that people go through, day in and day out. From diseased people, to those with amputated limbs, young children and old people living in abject poverty, trudging through the filth and grime each day. And of course, the eunuchs. Now, I'm travelling with about 30 people, almost all of whom find eunuchs funny, and enjoy heaping ridicule on them. I'm aware that these kids aren't really bad people, they just don't know better. Like you said - "my lack of awareness"

So they continued cracking jokes and mocking them for most of the journey. When I thought it was getting too much, I told them them to stop doing it, and that they were human beings too. After some time, a couple of eunuchs came in, asking for money. Not asking, actually, but demanding. Here I stood my ground. They cannot coerce me or demand money from me - it's not a right of theirs. Anyway, one of them abused me and told me that she'd curse me and I'd have to join them one day (rolls eyes). After they left, everyone else looked at me, and someone said - "Do you still believe in their rights, then?"

And yes, of course I do. I do not wish to be chased by a transgender (I do not wish to be chased by anybody, so they're obviously included). :P What we need is a systematic, complete change in the way they're treated by society. I'd done legal research for transgenders once, when I was working with a gay rights NGO. And there are places where change is taking place, like Tamil Nadu -

http://indiaunheard.videovolunteers.org/mani/transgenders-in-tamilneed-jobs/

They even have three options to tick in the form for a ration card, M, F, and T, I believe. :)

Although you know, in some places of India, transgenders are recognized as legitimate people of society. Yes, they live a very different life, but they're often called to dance at wedding, at the birth of a child (a male child, specifically. :/ )

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hijra_(South_Asia)

Are transgenders even given a choice as to what they can do to earn a living? Do they know any other way apart from intimidating people? Apart from a few exceptions, that's the plight of most.

http://www.globalpolitician.com/24711-india-transgender

Its great seeing the wind of change blowing.
So next time if a Eunuch approaches you, just smile and do the needful. Do it till the time they are given the basic Fundamental Rights which are quite conveniently enjoyed by us.

Hope the ignorance has been burnt by the awareness.

Love,
Siddharth

P.S. I have used the word "she" to denote the Transgenders in the article, because its their singular demand - the status of a woman.
P.P.S. If you have had any experiences, please do share them.