At the Margins: The Socially Excluded Third Gender People

Abstract

On the streets of Indian villages one sometimes comes across an unusual sight of a group of closely shaven persons in female attire, singing and dancing, making overtures to the onlookers, cracking sexually charged jokes at men and making loud clapping sounds with their hands. To people these individuals may look very interesting and outlandish freaks of nature. Not because they sing and dance but because of their ambivalent physical appearance. They shave, smoke and talk like men but dress and behave in a more feminine way. On seeing them, one question which would immediately strike relates to who are these people, male or female? And if they are neither males nor females, then what? In the Indian society these peoples are popularly referred to as ‘Hijras’, ‘Khusras’, ‘Asexuals’, ‘Neutrals’, ‘Eunuchs’, etc. All the terms included in the nomenclature are used to describe the identity of these people who have one thing in common and perhaps the most decisive one that there is something wrong with their sexual organs. So one can say that, for years we have looked at Hijras, but never seen or understood them.