The "Forlorn" Life of The Hijras

While coming back from school today, I faced a sad truth about myself.

My car was waiting at the signal; I noticed a Hijra (Eunuch) approaching the car in front of me. She was begging. My first thought was if she comes and goads me to give her money. I felt scared. My hand instinctively went to the door lock. I felt relieved after locking the door as I knew that the Hijra cannot harm me in any way.

As expected she approached my car and asked me in her sweetest voice “amake ektu taka debe, Maa?” which means “will you give me some money, mother?” I was frightened. So I dumbfoundedly nodded my head and told her “na, nei amar kache taka!” meaning “I don’t have any money!” I was waiting for her to start her tactics. But she coolly went towards the next car.

In the book “AIDS SUTRA”, I have read about the lives of the Eunuchs who are victims of prostitution and social abuse. My father often tried to hide the book. As he felt that I was too small to face the realities stated on the book. I used to search every nook and corner of my house until I found it again. The book was about AIDS. There were many stories about how the Hijras were forced to get into their profession of either prostitution or beggary. There is a leader among the Hijra community, who determines the fate of the other Hijras. My aunt has a Hijra friend and she once told me that her friend wanted to study but she could not. My aunt’s friend was forced to abandon her studies as the leader felt that she will earn more money on streets by begging than going to college and completing her education. When my aunt encouraged her friend to complete her education, her friend replied that her life is already destroyed; so what was the point in completing her education. She also said that a taboo has been put on her by the society and she could never wash that off herself. Moreover, she knew that society will never accept her as its own.

After knowing about their sad life, I took a pledge that I will be different from everyone else. I promised myself that I will treat them with respect. But today through my behaviour, I realised that I have failed myself; I have failed to keep the promise that I made to myself.

The Hijras are not bad people. They are good. We find them different as they do not fit into our social realms. We consider them different because they do not fit to our definition of status quo.

Today I want to dedicate my post to all the members of the Hijra community, who are fighting to be accepted by the society, and to all my readers with the hope that by reading my post, they will get to know the sad realities about the "FORLORN" lives of the Hijras.