Eunuchs 2 percent reservation

 

Eunuchs want two per cent of society
NJ, MAY 26 – India’s eunuch community is demanding a two per cent reservation in schools, colleges, hospitals, government offices, etc. and insist on a ‘dharamshala’.

Transgender communities have existed in most parts of the world with their own local identities, customs and rituals. They are called baklas in the Philippines, berdaches among American Indian tribes, serrers in Africa and hijras, jogappas, jogtas, shiv-shaktis and aravanis in South Asia.

The hijra community in India, which has a recorded history of more than 4,000 years, was considered to have special powers because of its third-gender status. It was part of a well-established `eunuch culture’ in many societies, especially in West Asia, and its members held sanctioned positions in royal courts.

Over the years, things have changed in for the Hijras – Eunuchs in India.

“We are the unwanted part of the society. We don’t have social life but if we are allowed to vote and pay taxes then why aren’t our basic necessities satisfied and why can’t we have a dharamshala?” questions Ragini Naik, ‘guru’ of the All Maharashtra Hijra Samaj Sena Sangh (AMHSSS), Mumbai.

The Indian eunuchs complain that though there are shelters for underprivileged children, women and senior citizens but eunuchs are neglected and kept outside the society. They are neither allowed in the social activities (places of worship, workplaces, entertainment avenues) nor are they admitted in educational institutions.

“Apart from the educational institutions or social activities, we have people judging us even as we are walking on the road. We are not even allowed to stay in a residential colony where the ‘others’ stay. They treat us as if we are born from the dirty ‘nallah’. But when it comes to collecting vote and tax, the government decides to include us. In spite of paying tax we are not given the basic facilities,” said Gopi Naik, a member of (AMHSSS) Gopi Naik, reported Afternoon of Mumbai.

The eunuchs are demanding a place in society wherein their basic needs can be taken care of, Farid Naik of AMHSSS explained, “When one of us die we don’t have the system of informing everybody for the funeral. Our cremation is done secretly. But our guru performs a ceremony, ‘pintdaan’ as we call upon the people of our community from across the country. For such occasion we need a place where we can get together. Only a place like a dharmashala can help us in all these situations.

India’s Hijra Community were lucky enough this time to get the opportunity to get the permission to use the a municipal school ground in Mumbai for our nine-day festival “but we don’t know what fate has for us next year,” said Gopi.

Farid Naik, a member of the community said there was little enjoyment for them during the festival, “We had few ceremonies where people like us adopt whoever we like or whoever care for us as our sons or daughters.”

Naik then broke the conversation, and started dancing on the tune that her friend played on the tabla. Farid said, “For us, entertainment is singing, dancing and playing musical instruments after the ceremony is over. We also had little stalls having selling things that usually our community uses the most.” The stalls sold shinny Shalwar-Qameez, Sarees, Shawls, artificial hair, accessories and artificial breasts!

The annual nine-day festival started on May 14 and ended on May 23. Around 5000 eunuchs from all over India came together and shared their views and problems.

http://www.despardes.com/India/newsbriefs/2006/20060422-india-news.html