The plight of the khwaja siras
In a time where even the second gender, female, is not given its due rights in Pakistan, talking about the third gender just seems pointless. But then just because no one talks about the problem does not mean the problem does not exist. Terming the third gender of our society ‘khwaja siras’ is nothing but a political euphemism to avoid directly hurting their feelings. Still many would still like to use the derogatory term of ‘khusras’. Talking about them openly is considered a religious taboo in our society. Parents tell their children to stay away from such mutants. Khwaja siras knocking on the car windows of many are frequently shunned aside through abusive remarks. They are called cross-dressers and thus kafirs in Islam. In a society where narrow-mindedness is prevalent under the garb of religiosity, this is not surprising.
The khawaja siras are believed by many to be homosexuals and prostitutes who sell their bodies to earn money. There is indeed a drastic lack of knowledge with regards to what even the terms ‘transsexual’ and ‘transgender’ means. While the biology of these terms is beyond the scope of this piece, one does need to know nevertheless that these people really don’t have a choice in what they are confronted with. So when a shemale in Pakistan wants to have surgery to turn into a female, he is classified as deviant. In essence, the society is stopping him/her from becoming either a male or a female and still cursing him/her for who he/she is. Even Iran allows sex reassignment operations for the sexually impaired, but of course Pakistan’s got to act more religious.
Still, some organisations have taken certain measures to address the situation of the third gender. The Khawaja Sira Rehabilitation Programme started by the revolutionary microfinance organisation Akhuwat is on its way to make history. It allows every khwaja sira registered under its programme to be given a monthly stipend and encourages them to participate in giving talks on stage and sharing their experiences with the rest of the community. The Akhuwat Cloth Bank, another project started by Akhuwat, also employs khwaja siras for the distribution of packages to the needy. But such measures taken by non-profits can never match the impact that a national policy can have. And thus, it is incumbent upon the government to open up schemes for the rehabilitation of the transsexuals and transgenders in our society.
Not many people know that ‘khwaja sira’ was actually a term developed the Mughals to describe the eunuchs designated to take care of the ladies of the harem. Because these men were castrated, they posed no threat to the women and were rather used to protect them. Similarly, eunuchs in our society can be employed in various professions which involve direct interaction with women. But that does not mean that they don’t have a place in other professions. But being the most marginalised community in Pakistan, it is no wonder that most of them don’t even know what a university is. This society teaches its members to not even look at the faces of these mutants. So unless we change our attitude towards them, they will continue to suffer. Because hey, they have a heart too. And like everyone else’s heart, it hurts when it gets broken for a fault it did not commit.