Hijra - The third sex

Alright, this got me confused, at first I thought Hijra means, "migrating" but to my surprise, it means transgender or men with women soul, literally, in Urdu. Some Hijras undergo an initiation rite into the Hijra community called Nirwaan, which refers to the removal of penis, testicles and scrotum.

In South Asia, especially in India, where Hijra have a recorded history of more than 4,000 years, ancient myths bestow them with special powers to bring luck and fertility. The power to do so comes to them through Bahuchara Mata who is a version of the Mother Goddess. The Mother Goddess plays the role of the mother, who is the creator and nurturer, as well as the destroyer. Hence, she has the power to grant fertility or take it away.

Yet despite this supposedly sanctioned place in Indian culture, Hijra face severe harassment and discrimination from every direction. The uphill struggle for the Hijra first begins with finding acceptance within the family. Most families will denounced their sons when they find out about it. Once the truth is out, hijras are usually forced to leave the family home.

Many hijras live in well-defined, organized, 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. Yet the society they must take refuge in is equally as unwelcoming. Hijras have few rights and are not recognized by Indian law. This denies them the right to vote, the right to own property, the right to marry and the right to claim formal identity through any official documents such as a passport or driving license. Accessing healthcare, employment or education becomes almost impossible. In the face of such odds they are forced to earn money any way they can and for many hijras the method of making ends meet is prostitution.

It doesn't sound right, right? A human being treated this way just because they are different from the normal us. Being abused and harassed by local authorities and gangs. But, there is light at the end of the tunnel, since 2006, hijras in the state of Bihar have been employed by the government as tax collectors, singing loudly about the debt outside the defaulter's premises until they are shamed into paying up − one of the most effective tax recovery methods ever used in India.

Also, thanks to a large number of internationally funded support groups that are gaining considerable momentum in many big Indian cities, hijras, as well as other sexuality minority groups, are slowly starting to get a better deal. For instance, Bangalore support group “Sangama,” is funded by the Bill Gates Foundation and the Fund for Global Human Rights among others have been instrumental in establishing community networks with monthly meetings and safe spaces such as drop-in centers for all sexuality minority groups.

Oh, if you are planning to wed in India and in need of some luck on your wedding day you could do no better than seek the blessing of one of the country’s estimated 200,000 male to female transsexuals or "hijras".