"Eunuchs or Hijras"

   Eunuchs -Third Gender

Hijras are born male ,only a few having been born with intersex variations .

Their face is their fortune.Caked in cheap rouge,kajaal ,powder &lipstick.They dress in ill -fitting blouses &colourful saris in a grotesque parody of womanhood as they roam the busy market places in groups.These are not your average beggars on the street.With male voices &shouting expletives,palms meeting,cross ways in a trademark clap, they prey on susceptible pass away,who will part with their cash sooner than be treated to the sight of the group collectively lifting up their saris and flashing castrated genital areas right in their faces.

• India is the only country where the traditions of eunuch is prevalent today.There are about 1million of them though their role in life has changed drastically from that of royal servants, confidently & friends.

Eunuch or hijras as they are called here have become something to be feared.Nobody want to be accosted by one of them be nudge with their elbows,stroked on the cheeks taunted cursed &flashed. 21st century India are making their living.Begging is not their only source of income.Its an age old custom in the country to have hijads bless

childbirth wedding,housewarming &other auspicious occasions.The eunuch are believed to posses ocult powers and their blessings and curses' are both considered potent .

Eunuchs and their problems :

Eunuchs in India have virtually no safe spaces,not even in their families where they are protected from prejudice and abuse.The recently released PUCL(Report on Human Rights Against Violations Against the Transgender Community) the kind of prejudice that hijads in public places, police stations,prisons& even their homes .The main factor the violence is that society is not able to come terms with the fact that hijads do not confirm to the accepted gender division.
In addition to this most hijras have lower middle class background which makes them susceptible to harassment by the police. The discrimination based on their class and gender makes the hijda community one of the most dis empowered group in Indian society.Still eunuchs are an important part of Indian society.No celebration is considered without their participation and blessing.Yet they remain a neglected part of our population.