Smile, next time you see a hijra at a traffic signal
We have all seen them. At some point, we have all been scared, terrified or repulsed by them. Sometimes we have laughed at them, sneered or even abused them. In return, they have absued us back, begged us, coerced us, or tried to be intimidating. I am talking about those, who live at the edge of our society, scrambling together bits to carve a life out for themselves - the "hijras".
According to the Kama Sutra, the hijra community has existed in the subcontinent since antiquity. They enjoyed a place of privilege in the Indian society in the bygone era - their status as beings who were neither women or men, is revered in many holy texts. Over the years, as the patronage of the Kings and Queens dwindled and coloninalism took roots in the country, the status of the hijras also changed. They went from being the royal courtiers and companions to beggars, living on the margins of society. They say time heals and times change, but this is a community that time itself seems to have forgotten.
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I met many jijras during the research and filming of this documentary - what they told me about their lives; their personal journeys shocked me and made me question humanity. And yet, I was amazed to see their smiling faces, their laughter and joy in the smallest possible things - getting a big "badhai" (money for singing at a child-birth) was reason enough for one of them to break into dance. And on the other end, Noorie Saleem who is one of the oldest hijra activists' (and also the second person to be diagnosed with HIV in India) was insanely happy with her life, inspite of having endured hardships, which will make most of us give-up. Abhina Aher, a transgender activist, is forced to live in a slum inspite of earning a decent income from her job at Alliance India, because no homeowner would rent their house to a trans-woman; yet she has hope to change the world.
I witnessed their lives, the challenges and the great stride the community is trying to make - in 2014 the Supreme Court of India delivered the landmark NALSA judgement, which gives the trans community an equal status in the Indian society. For the first time we have a trans-woman holding a police officer's post in Chennai, another is the principal of a college in Kolkata and let's not forget Shabnam Mausi - India's first transgender politician. Recently, Yashraj Studio created 6 Pack Band - India's first transgender band.
This show: In-Between is an attempt to bridge that gap. To tell you some stories and suggest some answers. And most of all, an attempt to remind you - smile the next time you see a hijra at the red-light. Don't cringe, don't be afraid.