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SOCIETY
Eunuchs hold annual congregation in Agra
Agra:
It was a confluence of different sort when thousands
of eunuchs gathered here to participate in a twenty-day
long annual congregation, which commenced here on
Tuesday. Over 4,000 eunuchs from across the country
gathered for the elaborate function, marked by song
and dance performances as the general public watched
with delight. The eunuchs dressed in their festive
finery bedecked with heavy jewellery, parading through
the streets of the ancient city danced to the tunes
of popular Bollywood numbers. Shobha Nehru, a eunuch,
comparing the meet to a marriage celebration said
that they pray for the peace and prosperity of the
nation. "Like the elaborate rituals performed during
marriages, we perform similar rituals here. We pray
for the residents of Agra and the entire nation, that
they should not face any problems. In our meeting,
just as you send out invitations and gifts during
marriages we do the same," she said. Known as "Hijras",
in popular parlance, eunuchs are basically males castrated
at puberty but are considered as "she". For centuries,
the have suffered ridicule and been detested for their
different sexuality. Most of these eunuchs, especially
in rural parts of the country, live in abject poverty
and complain of being exploited and victimized by
middlemen, pimps and contractors, who lease them out
to self-styled event managers. It is estimated that
about ninety percent of the eunuchs are living in
impoverished conditions, and have almost negligible
share in regular occupations. The main source of their
income is dance performances that they do on auspicious
occasions--like childbirth or marriage ceremonies-where
these people are gifted with cash or sundry items-like
clothes, sweets or other items of daily use. Although,
there are no exact statistics available about the
population of eunuchs, they are estimated to be about
five lakh. However, in recent years, in India, eunuchs
have been asserting their presence in society with
some even bidding for high public offices. Confronting
a social boycott, they have grouped to form welfare
associations and are demanding right to employment,
marriage and also child adoption amongst other things.
-Mar
29, 2006
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