For your eyes only

Come dahling lets do it fast! I mean the interview handsome don’t get any wild ideas. We’ll, I don’t pretend to be a sati savitri. I am very comfortable and happy identifying myself as a hijra.
Life has been one roller coaster ride in the past few months — the Delhi high court’s ruling on section 377, the Queer Azaadi March, interviews, reality shows, and amid all this my doctor’s and beauty parlour appointments. “I have to look stunning you see.”
There have been some stray instances, when some loafer has tried to act fresh and pass lewd comments, but I know exactly how to handle them. Who are you and I to question God’s creation? It’s ridiculous to see some religious leaders and so-called culture-vultures challenge the HC ruling on section 377. How can these people decide what’s “right” and “wrong” for sexual minorities. “Hum asmaan se thodi na tapke (We didn’t fall from the sky) Even, I came from a mother’s womb. I was born and brought up in Thane by my parents. They treated me and my other two siblings equally. Will a parent disown a handicapped child? Then why should anybody shun a child for being hijra?
After finishing my SSC and BCom, I worked as a model coordinator. I even danced in a bar to earn a living. But then dance bars were shut down. Today more than 75,000 bar dancers are jobless. Most of them are forced into prostitution. Who is responsible for this? “Tali ek hath se nahin bajti hai. (You can’t clap with one hand).” But choreography and fighting for the rights of the hijra community was always close to my heart.
There are over 2.5 lakh hijras living in Mumbai, Thane and the suburbs. I firmly believe that educating and getting the hijras accepted into mainstream society will help in reducing the stigmas. Recognition and respect will happen automatically. I am working with two non-governmental organisations that work for the rights of the hijra community, Dai Welfare Society and Astitva. You won’t believe that as per or surveys, more than 49 per cent of the hijras in Mumbai are HIV positive.
With no access to education or jobs, hijras have no other option but to beg, dance and force themselves into prostitution to survive. A majority of us do not even have an identity card, ration card or a passport. Aren’t we humans and citizens of India? Ironically, there is exploitation within the hijra community. Some of the gurus keep all the daily earnings of the disciples and give them only 20 per cent of the earning. I want to end this exploitation. I as a guru do not take a penny.
People have misconceptions that when we die our bodies are hit with chappals or we steal children. This is all false.
From being a social outcaste to being the cynosure of all eyes in 10 Ka Dum and Sach Ka Saamna, I have come a long way. In fact, a journalist asked me after the show, didn’t you feel humiliated when the anchor asked you some personal questions, and I replied, “Nobody can humiliate you but you yourself. The day you accept and love yourself for who you are, you overcome the fear of being humiliated.” Life is a celebration. So why waste time judging others.

As told to Neil Pate