Photo : Collected
Hijra, transgender, third gender, and Humayun Ahmed have called them Brihannala. Whatever they are called, people in this category are deprived in every country in the world.
The identity of their citizenship and their status in the ancestral heritage are still unresolved in many countries around the world. Their sexual behaviour is still not considered spontaneous or normal in society in many countries around the world. Have what we call hijras managed to enter the mainstream of our society? The direct answer is no. And why not? One reason is that they speak in a hoarse voice and ask for money in a flamboyant manner. They usually travel in groups.
On the way, people are harassed for money, so many of them become housewives, using astrology to get rid of this curse. As far as the equal rights of the third gender are concerned, they have not been recognised in many countries around the world, so they depend on the blessings of others to live, although the question arises: who gave them the identity of the third gender? Or have they added this word to their title themselves? I've been observing this third gender, the hijras, for a long time. For example, they have to feed themselves; they spend their days on the streets, and many spend their nights there too. No matter how many projects are set up for them, their lot remains the same. What medical science says about the Hijras is that this is due to the fact that the parents' chromosomes are not well arranged. The Hijra community is not part of society as a whole. They belong to the backward class of society. Hijras are a minority. Abandoned by society.
The irony of this class of people is seen most often when travelling abroad; there are a lot of complications in filling out the various immigration forms. Whether they are hijra or brihannala, there is no doubt that they are handicapped by their gender. But the question remains: why do transgender people like to dress as women? When I was looking for the answer to this question, I said to myself that begging, extortion, bakshis (donations), and all these social evils are probably more beneficial if they are practiced by women. Nowadays, we also see highly educated hijras who are studying or have passed university. They also want to establish themselves in society. We just need a bit of patronage and resettlement. Army, police,
Ansar, village police, and Chowkidar can also be resettled to higher positions on merit, even in the cottage industry and pottery industry, so that they can be included. This category of people should understand the fact that they are physically disabled, so I think they also have the right to free treatment.
Our state system has set a unique example compared to many countries in the world when it comes to hijras: people of the third gender are accepted as citizens by our state. They now have the right to vote, and even hijras, in accordance with Muslim Sharia law, will now share in their parents' property (but this issue is quite complicated). I believe that if we get everyone's cooperation, these neglected, floating-class people will one day make a significant contribution to the general social system.
The writer is a poet and columnist in New York, USA
Messenger/Disha
