The Unfortunate Fortunes

How do you see homosexuals around you?  In India, it’s very easy to face one or two in public places. They popularly call them as ‘hijrahs’.  They are known for the way they applaud and demand for small ransoms.

What strikes into your minds when you have a confrontation with one?  Here, i would like to share one of my special experiences in this regard.  Although i had been watching these extraordinary mankinds on and off but this one is really close to my heart.  A few months ago, i was moving to Delhi with my mother by train. When we had just 1 hour  left for our journey, some of them came clapping, cheering and laughing.  One of them came to us and my mother handed her a ten- rupee note. Then, my mother asked her for  a coin.  She gladly took one coin out of her purse, handed over it to my mom,  placed her hands over my head and bestowed me. Sorry, did i use ‘she’ pronoun to address her,  but that is what we call someone dressed up in a saree.   When she went off, i appealed my mother to explain the theory behind that coin, she gave that coin to me and replied ”keep that coin safely with you. These people are known for bringing luck and fortune and that’s just a remainder”.  I felt sanctified.

                                      And then i began contemplating on this issue. I wonder, why this part of society is still deprived of equal rights although their arrival is assumed to be a fortune in certain occasions, especially in marriages and at childbirths.  Human beings have been divided into different genders male, female and LGBT's. And still they face plights in living as a rule in the society. They are still looked upon like aliens and backward.

Homosexuality is any accursed subject not usually discussed or almost ignored to be a subject. Such people are branded as unnatural or an abomination. They are often not accepted within their own families and many of such cases result into honour-killing.  Conservative and orthodox Indians call it a disease and perform rituals to purify this defect.  These methods are mentally harassing and physically painful.  Previously, the section 377 of IPC made sex with persons of same gender punishable by law, which was struck down just a few years back. Even after the Government has taken steps to give them equal rights to an extent, people are not socially ready to accept this and hence, the LGBT's face discrimination.

On the contrary, we cannot overlook the fact that deities from our own Indian mythology have been changing genders and manifesting themselves.  Adding up, Lord Krishna teaches us to consider the souls and not the body of people. And that’s the only way to achieve enlightenment. Perhaps, the only way we can help them is ‘acceptance’. This way they can come with this fact easily and have no regrets for their existence.  Further, they should not be justified for type of works or jobs they do and how do they live.  Let’s help them turn their own dices of luck and provide them an amicable environment. We should accept them and celebrate.

                                                                                           VEDIKA