Phooti Kismat Nalayak Zindagi—A Doomed Fate; A Useless Life!
The National Hijra Habba (festival) held recently in Delhi brought out in the open the deep anguish and silent suffering of the transgender/hijra /kinnar population across the country. Although this issue is centuries old, yet the tolerance level of common people towards this community is very low. It is just one of the many paradoxes of our complex Indian culture that while on one hand it is considered auspicious to have the hijras bless our newborns and newlyweds for fertility, they are otherwise shunned and looked down upon by society.
The community participants at the meet had horrendous tales of stigma and neglect to share which they themselves had experienced. Given that all of them were educated and better placed in society than their fellow community members, one shudders to even imagine the plight of the hijras whom we encounter on the streets, in trains/buses, brothels and turn our lofty noses away as if their mere presence will contaminate us.