HIJRAS OR EUNUCHS:

Hijra is a term used in South Asia – in particular, in India – to refer to an individual who is trans sexual or transgender.In mostly areas of India, transgender people are also known as Aravani, Aruvani or Jagappa.

History:

The ancient Kama Sutra mentions the performance of fellatio by feminine people of a third sex (tritiya prakriti).This passage has been variously interpreted as referring to men who desired other men, so-called eunuchs"those disguised as males, and those that are disguised as females",male and female transvestites"the male takes on the appearance of a female and the female takes on the appearance of the male",or two kinds of biological males, one dressed as a woman, the other as a man.

During the era of the British Raj, authorities attempted to eradicate hijras, whom they saw as "a breach of public decency."Anti-hijra laws were repealed; but a law outlawing castration, a central part of the hijra community, was left intact, though rarely enforced. Also during British rule in India they were placed under Criminal Tribes Act 1871 and labelled a "criminal tribe," hence subjected to compulsory registration, strict monitoring and stigmatized for a long time; after independence however they were denotified in 1952, though the centuries-old stigma continues.

Hijras In Pakistan:

In Pakistan, the hijras identify themselves as either female, male or third gender. The term more commonly advocated by social workers and transgender community members themselves is khwaaja sira (Urdu: سرا‎ خواجه) and can identify the individual as a transsexual person, transgender person (khusras), cross-dresser (zenanas) or eunuch (narnbans).

The 1992 film Immaculate Conception by Jamil Dehlavi is based upon the culture-clash between a western Jewish couple seeking fertility at a Karachi shrine known to be blessed by a Sufi fakir called 'Gulab Shah' and the group of Pakistani eunuchs who guard it.

Muraad (which means desire; the English title was Eunuch's Mother), was an award winning biographical Telefilm drama made by Pakistan's television channel Indus TV that aired in 2003. The cast had the country's top male television actors playing "hijras": Sohail Asghar, Nabeel, Qazi Wajid, Kamran Jilani. It was produced and directed by Kamran Qureshi and written by Zafar Meraj. It won both Best TeleFilm and Best Director awards.The story revolves around “Saima”, a trans woman, who adopts a helpless child "Muraad" and her relationship with him against the backdrop of her struggling throughout her life and her "desire" for her son. She has sent him away to live at a hostel so she can earn a living as a dancer, after her son gets cross with her, due to teasing (verbal and sexual) they face while dancing. This was the first time that influential male actors came out to support "hijra" rights during interviews; noting that in Pakistani English at that time eunuch was the term to describe a transgender person, and "khawaja sara" had not yet replaced what is now considered a derogatory term due to decades of heckling and name calling, "hijra".

CNN Report on Eunuchs:

In 2004, Kamran Qureshi directed a trans drama, Moorat ("effigy," however, the English title was Eunuch's Wedding. It was produced by famous actor and producer Humayun Saeed and Abdullah Kadwani with more than a dozen star-studded cast members for a 26-episode series.It was nominated for Best Drama Serial, Abid Ali for Best Actor, and Maria Wasti for Best Actress at the Lux Style Awards 2005.The show was credited for making people understand the pain and abuse that khawa sara (hijra) constantly endure when people make fun of the way they look or dress without knowing them or how they were naturally born this way. The story involves a young lady who is arranged to marry. It turns out her husband is transgender. The story unfolds trans community and their deprived and isolated world. It portrays eloquently how they, too, are not far away from the human emotions and feelings and their world not much different from the heterosexual community. Even though they are in plain sight, they are taboo subjects and are not taken seriously. This makes them suffer endlessly in silence wrapped in slurs. The 26-episode miniseries therefore touches on transgender abuse, women abuse, poverty, immorality of arranged marriages, and child abuse.

Bol (Urdu: بول meaning Speak), is a 2011 Urdu-language social drama Pakistani film. It concerns a patriarch, Hakim, who is a misogynist, a domestic abuser, a bigot, and a zealot who forces religion on his family. They face financial difficulties due to Hakim wanting a son. He rejects his transgender daughter, Saifi, as he wanted an heir and she identifies as a girl. Saifi is deeply loved by the rest of her family. As she grows up, men want to take advantage of her and she does not understand at first. However, her oldest sister intervenes and teaches Saifi about what kind of touching is inappropriate. As Saifi grows older, she is not allowed to leave the house. She finds her sister's dresses compelling and tries them on, revealing her gender identity. A neighbour played by famous South Asian singer Atif Aslam, who is in love with one of the sisters, gets Saifi a job at a place where they paint trucks, with the blessing of Saifi's sisters and mother. Saifi dresses like a boy; however, other boys sense her lack of self-esteem and eventually gang-rape her. She is saved when another transgender person, played by Almas Bobby (a transgender actor), finds her and takes her home. Hakim overhears Saifi telling her mother and Zainab what happened. When everybody is asleep, Hakim locks the room and suffocates his child for luring the men for the "shame" he would have to bear if the story got out.It received several positive reviews from critics and went on to win the Best Hindi film award in IRDS Film awards 2011 by Institute for Research and Documentation in Social Sciences (IRDS).

Hijras in Islam:

There is evidence that Indian hijras identifying as Muslim also incorporate aspects of Hinduism. Still, despite this syncretism, Reddy (2005) notes that a hijra does not practice Islam differently from other Muslims and argues that their syncretism does not make them any less Muslim. Reddy (2003) also documents an example of how this syncretism manifests: in Hyderabad, India a group of Muslim converts were circumcised, something seen as the quintessential marker of male Muslim identity.

Hijras In Sub-Continent:

Hijras have a recorded history in the Indian subcontinent from antiquity onwards as suggested by the Kama Sutra period. This history features a number of well-known roles within subcontinental cultures, part gender-liminal, part spiritual and part survival.

In South Asia, many hijras live in well-defined and organised all-hijra communities, led by a guru.These communities have sustained themselves over generations by "adopting" young boys who are rejected by, or flee, their family of origin.Many work as sex workers for survival.

The word "hijra" is an Urdu-Hindustani word derived from the Semitic Arabic root hjr in its sense of "leaving one's tribe,"and has been borrowed into Hindi. The Indian usage has traditionally been translated into English as "eunuch" or "hermaphrodite," where "the irregularity of the male genitalia is central to the definition." However, in general hijras are born with typically male physiology, only a few having been born with male intersex variations.Some Hijras undergo an initiation rite into the hijra community called nirwaan, which refers to the removal of penis, testicles and scrotum.

Since the late 20th century, some hijra activists and Western non-government organizations (NGOs) have lobbied for official recognition of the hijra as a kind of "third sex" or "third gender," as neither man nor woman. Hijras have successfully gained this recognition in Bangladesh and are eligible for priority in education. In India, the Supreme Court in April 2014 recognised hijra and transgender people as a 'third gender' in law.

Nepal, Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh have all legally recognized the existence of a third gender, including on passports and other official documents.

Religion of Hijras:

Many practice a form of syncretism that draws on multiple religions; seeing themselves to be neither men nor women, hijras practice rituals for both men and women.Hijras belong to a special caste. They are usually devotees of the mother goddess Bahuchara Mata, Lord Shiva, or both.

Hijras and Bahuchara Mata:

Bahuchara Mata is a Hindu goddess with two unrelated stories both associated with transgender behavior. One story is that she appeared in the avatar of a princess who castrated her husband because he would run in the woods and act like a woman rather than have sex with her. Another story is that a man tried to rape her, so she cursed him with impotence. When the man begged her forgiveness to have the curse removed, she relented only after he agreed to run in the woods and act like a woman. The primary temple to this goddess is located in Gujarat and it is a place of pilgrimage for hijras, who see Bahucahara Mata as a patroness.

Hijras and Lord Shiva:

One of the forms of Lord Shiva is a merging with Parvati where together they are Ardhanari, a god that is half Shiva and Half Parvati. Ardhanari is especially worshipped in North India and has special significance as a patron of hijras, who identify with the gender ambiguity.

Hijras in the Ramayana:

In some versions of the Ramayana,when Rama leaves Ayodhya for his 14-year exile, a crowd of his subjects follow him into the forest because of their devotion to him. Soon Rama notices this, and gathers them to tell them not to mourn, and that all the "men and women" of his kingdom should return to their places in Ayodhya. Rama then leaves and has adventures for 14 years. When he returns to Ayodhya, he finds that the hijras, being neither men nor women, have not moved from the place where he gave his speech. Impressed with their devotion, Rama grants hijras the boon to confer blessings on people during auspicious inaugural occasions like childbirth and weddings. This boon is the origin of badhai in which hijras sing, dance, and give blessings.

Hijras in the Mahabharata:

Mahabharata includes an episode in which Arjun, a hero of the epic, is sent into an exile. There he assumes an identity of a eunuch-transvestite and performs rituals during weddings and childbirths that are now performed by hijras.

In the Mahabharata, before the Kurukshetra War, Ahiravan offers his lifeblood to goddess Kali to ensure the victory of the Pandavas, and Kali agrees to grant him power. On the night before the battle, Ahiravan expresses a desire to get married before he dies. No woman was willing to marry a man doomed to die in a few hours, so Krishna assumes the form of a beautiful woman called Mohini and marries him. In South India, hijras claim Ahiravan as their progenitor and call themselves "aravanis."

Shemales (Khawaja Sara) Special Social Media Report:

                                       
Terminology:

The Urdu and Hindi word hijra may alternately be romanized as hijira, hijda, hijada, hijara, hijrah and is pronounced [ˈɦɪdʒɽaː]. This term is generally considered derogatory in Urdu and the word Khwaja Saraa is used instead. Another such term is khasuaa (खसुआ) or khusaraa (खुसरा). In Bengali hijra is called হিজড়া, hijra, hijla, hijre, hizra, or hizre.

A number of terms across the culturally and linguistically diverse Indian subcontinent represent similar sex or gender categories. While these are rough synonyms, they may be better understood as separate identities due to regional cultural differences.In Oriya language a hijra is referred to as Hinjida,Hinjda or Napunsaka,in Telugu, a hijra is referred to as napunsakudu (నపుంసకుడు), kojja (కొజ్జ) or maada (మాడ). In Tamil Nadu the equivalent term is Thiru nangai (mister woman), Ali, aravanni, aravani, or aruvani. In Punjabi, both in Pakistan and India, the term khusra is used. Other terms include jankha. In Gujarati they are called pavaiyaa (પાવૈયા). In Urdu another common term is khwaaja sira.

In North India, the goddess Bahuchara Mata is worshipped by Pavaiyaa (પાવૈયા). In South India, the goddess Renuka is believed to have the power to change one's sex. Male devotees in female clothing are known as Jogappa. They perform similar roles to hijra, such as dancing and singing at birth ceremonies and weddings.

The word kothi (or koti) is common across India, similar to the Kathoey of Thailand, although kothis are often distinguished from hijras. Kothis are regarded as feminine men or boys who take a feminine role in sex with men, but do not live in the kind of intentional communities that hijras usually live in. Additionally, not all kothis have undergone initiation rites or the body modification steps to become a hijra.Local equivalents include durani (Kolkata), menaka (Cochin),meti (Nepal), and zenana (Pakistan).

Gender And Sexuality:

Hijra used to be translated in English as "eunuch" or "hermaphrodite,Although LGBT historians or human rights activists have sought to include them as being transgender.In a series of meetings convened between October 2013 and Jan 2014 by the transgender experts committee of India's Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, hijra and other trans activists asked that the term "eunuch" be discontinued from usage in government documents, as it is not a term with which the communities identify.

These identities have no exact match in the modern Western taxonomy of gender and sexual orientation,and challenge Western ideas of sex and gender.

In India, some Hijras do not define themselves by specific sexual orientation, but rather by renouncing sexuality altogether. Sexual energy is transformed into sacred powers. However, these notions can come in conflict with the practical, which is that hijras are often employed as prostitutes.Furthermore, in India a feminine male who takes a "receptive" role in sex with a man will often identify as a kothi (or the local equivalent term). While kothis are usually distinguished from hijras as a separate gender identity, they often dress as women and act in a feminine manner in public spaces, even using feminine language to refer to themselves and each other. The usual partners of hijras and kothis are men who consider themselves heterosexual as they are the ones who penetrate.These male partners are often married, and any relationships or sex with "kothis" or hijras are usually kept secret from the community at large. Some hijras may form relationships with men and even marry,although their marriage is not usually recognized by law or religion. Hijras and kothis often have a name for these masculine sexual or romantic partners; for example, panthi in Bangladesh, giriya in Delhi or sridhar in Cochin.

Social status and economic circumstances:

Most hijras live at the margins of society with very low status; the very word "hijra" is sometimes used in a derogatory manner. The Indian lawyer and author Rajesh Talwar has written a book highlighting the human rights abuses suffered by the community titled 'The Third Sex and Human Rights.'Few employment opportunities are available to hijras. Many get their income from extortion(forced payment by disrupting work/life using demonstration and interference), performing at ceremonies (toli), begging (dheengna), or sex work ('raarha')—an occupation of eunuchs also recorded in premodern times. Violence against hijras, especially hijra sex workers, is often brutal, and occurs in public spaces, police stations, prisons, and their homes.As with transgender people in most of the world, they face extreme discrimination in health, housing, education, employment, immigration, law, and any bureaucracy that is unable to place them into male or female gender categories.

In 2008, HIV prevalence was 27.6% amongst hijra sex workers in Larkana.The general prevalence of HIV among the adult Pakistani population is estimated at 0.1%.

In October 2013, Pakistani Christians and Muslims (Shia and Sunni) were putting pressure on the landlords of Imamia Colony to evict any transgender residents. "Generally in Pakistan, Khwaja Saraa are not under threat. But they are in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province because of a 'new Islam' under way", I.A. Rehman, the director of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.

In a study of Bangladeshi hijras, participants reported not being allowed to seek healthcare at the private chambers of doctors, and experiencing abuse if they go to government hospitals.

Beginning in 2006, hijras were engaged to accompany Patna city revenue officials to collect unpaid taxes, receiving a 4-percent commission.

Since India's Supreme Court re-criminalized homosexuality and bisexuality on December 13, 2013, there has been a sharp increase in the physical, psychological and sexual violence against the transgender community by the Indian Police Service nor are they investigating even when sexual assault is reported.

On 15 April 2014, in National Legal Services Authority v. Union of India, the Supreme Court of India ruled that transgenders should be treated as a third category of gender and as a socially and economically "backward" class entitled to proportional access and representation in education and jobs.

Language:

The hijra community due to its peculiar place in sub-continental society which entailed marginalisation yet royal privileges developed a secret language known as Hijra Farsi. The language has a sentence structure loosely based on Urdu and a unique vocabulary of at least a thousand words. Beyond the Urdu-Hindi speaking areas of subcontinent the vocabulary is still used by the hijra community within their own native languages.

Hijras In South Asian politics:

The hijra community in India has seen many success stories in the political sphere starting with the election of Shobha Nehru in 1998 for the city council seat in Hissar, Haryana. However, given the influence of Islam on hijra communities, there is a lack of Islamic rhetoric in the political sphere. Pakistan, on the other hand, has yet to see a hijra elected into the government, even though there is much political activism from the hijra community.

In 2013, transgender people in Pakistan were given their first opportunity to stand for election.Sanam Fakir, a 32-year-old hijra, ran as an independent candidate for Sukkur, Pakistan's general election in May.

The governments of both India (1994)and Pakistan (2009) have recognized hijras as a "third sex", thus granting them the basic civil rights of every citizen. In India, hijras now have the option to identify as a eunuch ("E") on passports and on certain government documents. They are not, however, fully accommodated; in order to vote, for example, citizens must identify as either male or female. There is also further discrimination from the government. In the 2009 general election, India's election committee denied three hijras candidature unless they identified themselves as either male or female.

In April 2014, Justice KS Radhakrishnan declared transgender to be the third gender in Indian law, in a case brought by the National Legal Services Authority (Nalsa) against Union of India and others.The ruling said:

“Seldom, our society realises or cares to realise the trauma, agony and pain which the members of Transgender community undergo, nor appreciates the innate feelings of the members of the Transgender community, especially of those whose mind and body disown their biological sex. Our society often ridicules and abuses the Transgender community and in public places like railway stations, bus stands, schools, workplaces, malls, theatres, hospitals, they are sidelined and treated as untouchables, forgetting the fact that the moral failure lies in the society's unwillingness to contain or embrace different gender identities and expressions, a mindset which we have to change.”

Justice Radhakrishnan said that transgender people should be treated consistently with other minorities under the law, enabling them to access jobs, healthcare and education.He framed the issue as one of human rights, saying that, "These TGs, even though insignificant in numbers, are still human beings and therefore they have every right to enjoy their human rights", concluding by declaring that:

(1) Hijras, Eunuchs, apart from binary gender, be treated as "third gender" for the purpose of safeguarding their rights under Part III of our Constitution and the laws made by the Parliament and the State Legislature.

(2) Transgender persons' right to decide their self-identified gender is also upheld and the Centre and State Governments are directed to grant legal recognition of their gender identity such as male, female or as third gender.

(3) Tiruchi Siva DMK moved the popular bill which was supported by all political parties in Rajya Sabha for Transgenders to ensure they get benefits akin reserved communities like SC/STs and is taking steps to see that they get enrolment in schools and jobs in government besides protection from sexual harassments.

Recognizing the rights of eunuchs as equal citizens:

Considering the complex network of people and the sizeable number of eunuchs in the world, it is not possible to close our eyes and ignore their existence. It must be noted that the third gender in India is not adequately provided for, though their existence is evident in our country. A vertical intervention of rights is necessary in recognizing eunuchs as equal citizens of India. When young boys are castrated, they are at a tender age, not being capable of making decisions that would change their life and identity. Any procedure aimed at changing the sexual orientation of a person, must continue to be banned except of course for treating terminal diseases. The legislation needs to provide for vigilant laws in this regard. By better enforcement of laws, society would be freed of persons who have been castrated. The number of born-eunuchs is small and the government would be able to provide for them better. The National Commission for Women does not protect eunuchs because they technically do not form a part of the fairer sex. Their focus mainly lies on the uplifting of women. Their areas of work include violence against women, sexual harassment, educational, health and employment aspects; custodial justice and mental health institutions, crime against women, women in unorganised labour sector, women in agriculture and women of minority groups. Similar protection is required to be given to transgender people but the commission does not include the violations of the rights of eunuchs in their agenda.

Section 2(c) of National Commission for Minorities

Act, 1992 says that "Minority", for the purposes of this Act, means a community notified as such by the Central Government. The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment issued Notification dated 23^rd  October, 1993 defining "Minorities",

saying:

"In exercise of powers conferred by Clause (c) of Section 2 of the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992 (19 of 1992), the Central Government notified that the following communities would be considered as 'the minority communities' for the purposes of the said Act, namely:

1. Muslims

2. Christians

3. Sikhs

4. Buddhists

5. Zorostrians (Parsis)."

It must be noted here that even the National Commission for Minorities provides for religious minorities and not gender minorities. It must also be observed that the Act, per se, provides the Government with enough scope for including every community that it feels needs to be protected as a minority. The Government on its part has been focused on religion only. For our law-makers, the only people who form a part of the minorities are those who are not Hindu by religion. Such rigidity in our law, works to the detriment of the sexual minorities in India, as they form a part of the religious majority in the country. Considering the present situation of eunuchs, the Government has been insensitive to the plight of eunuchs. Owing to the nature of work of the National Commission for Women, it is difficult to include eunuchs in the category of women, as eunuchs, per se, do not identify themselves with either the male or the female gender. They wish to be recognized as a gender of their own. The only sensible solution left with the Government is for it to bring in some statutory regulations to uplift this section of the society. Articles 15 and 16 of the Indian Constitution provide for Prohibition of discrimination on grounds of religion, race,caste, sex or place of birth and Equality of opportunity in matters of public employment but the Articles are grossly violated in case of eunuchs. They are given no jobs, which is a result of discrimination on the basis of sex. The Government on its part has not provided for any protection, which is extended, to women and children under Article 15(1) and the backward class as per Article 16(4). There is a need for introduction of laws protecting this section of the society. Though the definition of 'grievous hurt' under Section 320 of Indian Penal Code covers emasculation, the punishment for emasculating is only one year or a fine extending up to a thousand rupees. The punishment is not adequate considering the crime. The Government must also come up with laws and enforcement strategy that prevent the increase in the number of eunuchs for which the punishment of emasculation whether the person undergoes it willfully or not must be increased. Emasculation must form another category of offence not covered under grievous hurt. It must be punishable even if the person undergoes it willfully. Such a provision is necessary, because if the government provides special protection to eunuchs, it should not provide encouragement to those who make eunuchs of boys. The protection must extend to people who are naturally born eunuchs or those who are already on the date of the law coming in force.Thus, any further emasculation even if done willfully must be made punishable, unless the objective is medical for which purpose the Medical Council of India should come out with clear guidelines.Thus, the law in this regard must be prospective in nature preventing incidents of emasculation in future. Only then can Justice be done to this special category of people who, due to reasons beyond human control, are discriminated against and are forced into living outside the mainstream of society.