Eunuch
In India, eunuchs are known as Hijras, or a “third gender,” neither a he nor a she. While they were once worshiped in the Hindu world and also worked for Islamic rulers, they are now widely feared. Even though “Indians attribute a sacred power to them … (they are) often considered vulgar and are sometimes despised, mostly silently, and harassed.
Calumny of the Eunuch
Misfortune has long been a companion of India’s eunuchs. Because the country has historically recognized only two genders, Hijras have been deprived of the right to vote, own property, marry or go to schools, according to a report written by the People’s Union for Civil Liberties. In 2005, Indian passport office allowed eunuchs to write “E” instead of male or female. Ironically, their lot is considered so bad that they turn up to places of joy, such as weddings and births, to take away everybody else’s bad luck.
Loud finger snapping followed by a popping hand gesture announces their arrival before they show their demanding hands. And they don’t take no for an answer. People usually pay up quickly afraid of bad luck, obscene gestures and profane language. Once they give cash they get a blessing and are safe from the curses. Hijras are known to crash weddings and appear at birth celebrations demanding lots of money. Everyone is eager to pay for good fortune. There is no option – It’s either cash or curse.
The Past and Cultural Relations
The past and cultural relations of the hijras are rooted both in ancient Hinduism, where eunuchs are mentioned in a variety of texts, including the epic Mahabharata, and in Islam, where eunuchs served in the harems of the Mogul rulers. The ritual participation of hijras in life-cycle ceremonies has a clearly Hindu origin, though they may perform for Muslims as well. Many aspects of hijra social organization are taken from Islam, and many of the most important hijra leaders have been and are Muslim.
However, hijras differ from traditional Muslim eunuchs, who did not dress as women. Nor were Muslim court eunuchs endowed with the powers to bless and to curse that hijras derive from their ambiguous sexuality and connection with the mother goddess. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries Hindu and Muslim hijras did not live together, but in contemporary India they often do. Another historical connection of the hijras appears to be with the Magna Mata cults in ancient Greece, whose devotees also dressed in women’s clothing.
What the eunuch used to do
Apart from sing and dance, they used to earn a livelihood by becoming servants in the women’s quarters of the house. In the old days, women of wealthy families had a separate “ladies only” area. Hijaras worked in such houses as they could bridge the male / female divide in the house. They could go out and do the errands, do the shopping for the ladies and also be their guards. Emperors kept them as trusted guards. Some even became generals in the Moghal armies!
Social coalescence of the eunuchs
SUKHDUA
Saint Dr. Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Ji Insan has given them a new name of Sukh Dua Samaj , i.e. the community that seeks well being and prays for the welfare of others. This was traditionally their role in society which subsequently degenerated. Saint ji inspires people not to desert such children that are born with such defects, but if they feel compelled , the Dera Sacha Sauda is ready to accept them.
The inter-sex children in India are forced to join vagrant eunuch communities because of their non acceptance by society. But belonging to the so called ‘Third Sex’ is no crime. Why should they be denied opportunities for education and progress? Why can’t they be treated as equal citizens? On 14thNovember, 2009, Saint ji announced a historic move to help them. Instead of vagrancy and neglect, these children would be given free boarding facilities and education. They would be protected from any kind of harassment and given accommodation in the Ashram premises. Saint ji requested the inter-sex community that for the children to prosper, they would have to give up the habit of begging for alms. Saint ji said that these children are a ray of hope for the country. While those who claim to be ‘men’ are wallowing in corruption to create assets for their kids, the inter-sex would have no such distractions. Therefore, they could study and rise up to become officers who would be able to weed out corruption. Since they are sterile, they will not have any greed to garner money by corrupt means.
About the author
Ishant Sunaria
B.Tech In Mechanical Engineer, Lyricist, Singer, Insurance Advisor, Humanity Lover.
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