The Third Gender

2. THE THIRD GENDER ……..

Mumbai is a city of vibrant dimensions and people. It is a city where all the genders live together whether male or female, but then why does Mumbai forget some people who are also a very part of the society. They have the body of a man but the soul of a woman and their claps form the symbol of their community. They are those people who are fighting for their identity as the third gender. They are known by many names like “Hijras”, “Chakkas” or most commonly known as “Eunuchs” all over the world. Eunuchs are not a sudden discovery in the world but are also there in the pages of many historical events. They have been shunned and boycotted by the so called “Normal people”. They are forced to beg on signals do menial jobs or work as sex workers as they do not get good jobs even if they are highly educated because they are considered as a taboo to the society. We talk about illiteracy, poverty and other problems faced by the society, so why aren’t these people taken into consideration.

Today these individuals do not get suppressed easily. This community is finally getting out of its shell. Many of the eunuchs are surprisingly graduates from esteemed universities. The best part about this community that the whole world should learn is the “UNITY AMONGST DIVERSITY” between these people. They do not divide themselves on the basis of religion and they accept everyone with open arms even if one works as a sex worker or has AIDS. Here we fight in the name of religion and kill each other forgetting that we belong to the highest community that is humanity. Eunuchs are also humans and not an abnormal being. In order to prove this to the society some eunuchs have formed an NGO called “Sakhi Char Chowghi Trust” to bring reforms in this community. It is really sad to know that this is the one and only trust working for this cause. It is a completely different experience to speak to the organizers of this trust. The determination and enthusiasm of the eunuchs is highly motivating. They just behave like normal people working for a good cause. They believe that they all are woman, but are trapped in the body of men. They want to be free from this fake identity and be what they actually are. But then why is the society ignoring them or not accepting them. They long to be a part of the society they long to be heard they have a voice, they have opinions and demands, then why during social, political, and economic discussion regarding the city they are forgotten. That is why these people are relying on them selves to make a difference and to break the barriers around them. The society does not accept them but they have accepted the society with due respect. One of the organizers of the NGO quoted “Ae Zindagi gale lagale, hamne bhi tere har ek gam ko haske gale se lagaya hai”. She also said,”we have no enmity against the society inspite of all the atrocities we have faced because of them. We are also human beings and a part of this god gifted world”.

It’s high time that we all leave are orthodox beliefs behind and open ourselves to a wider horizon in the world. We cannot ignore a whole community of human instead we should “BAN IGNORANCE AND NOT HUMAN RIGHTS”.