Transgender; A lesson from the Past

 

Munaza Kazmi

The word “transgender” – or trans – is an umbrella term for people whose gender identity is different from the sex assigned to them at birth. Although the word “transgender” and the modern definition of it only came into use in the late 20th century, however people who would fit under this definition have existed in every culture throughout recorded history.

Around the world Transgenders are the most deprived community. The God’s creation to whom we consider as lowly and second rate, without realizing. However,in theory, Pakistan has progressive laws that protect trans rights and had recognized transgender to be the third gender in 2009, which is a milestone in South Asia.

Historical references to the gender-diverse community go back thousands of years in South Asia, thou Pakistan is one of only 12 countries in the world that recognizes transgender identity on national ID cards. Moreover, Pakistani apex court ordered that transgender must be counted separately in the census of 2017, and separate column was made for the said purpose.

These people come from all walks of life. They are parents, siblings, and kids. They are your coworkers, your neighbors, and perhaps your friends. They are 7-year-old children and 70-year-old grandparents. They are a diverse community, representing all racial and ethnic backgrounds, as well as all faith traditions.

According to a recent study, total transgender population of Pakistan is 10,418. Out of which 8.3% are living in KP, 0.25% is living in FATA, 64.39% are living in the Punjab, 24.25% are living in Sind, 1.04% is living in Baluchistan, and 1.27% in the federal capital territory.

However, these unfortunate people are often disowned by their families and live together in communities, usually led by a Guru, in to a live of misery.Exclusion from education means that 42% of the community is illiterate, and employment is heavily focused on three specific jobs.

According to 2016 study, 51% of trans people’s overall income comes from dancing, 15% from sex work and 12% from begging.

Sex work and begging have been outlawed in Pakistan, while dance rituals are seen by religious authorities as un-Islamic. Hence, you can imagine how difficult it would be to survive.

Needless to say, here are a few transgenders with formal qualifications, who are often used for showcasing by local NGOs,to project diversity to international donor agencies while in reality, they still face discrimination.

My readers would now be thinking of issuing of some regulatory act from United Nations or NGO of some Gora would do the magic. However, let me introduce you to our glorious past.

The Dutch merchant Francisco Pelsaert, during his visit to the Mughal court in the 17th century, made a surprising discovery, that of the prestige and power enjoyed by the third gender, or eunuchs in the imperial household.

“They can get whatever they desire- fine horses to ride, servants to attend them outside, and female slaves inside the house, clothes as fine and smart as those of their master himself,” he is noted to have written in his travelogue. The elevated stature of eunuchs during the Mughal era has been documented for years by foreign travelers and historians.

“Even the stigmatized community of hijras in India today seem to carry something of the special powers, the baraka, of the eunuchs of earlier times, and they invoke Mughal eunuchs as their ancestors,” writes historian Ruby Lal in her article ‘Harem and eunuchs: Liminality and networks of Mughal authority’.

Later, with the decline of the Mughal Empire and the advent of British Raj, their influence waned. In 1871, the colonial power introduced the Criminal Tribes Act (CTC). It required registration and control of eunuchs.

Colonial law deprived eunuchs of their primary source of income and any kind of rights. It pushed them further into poverty and social exclusion. According to English understanding, there were only two sexes. Homosexuals were criminalized too.

If anyone can learn anything from the brief history I referred. We are a promising nation, we had the magnificent of emperies, our faith, our laws and our education outshined the world, only we have been misled by the west.

On my recent visit to Azad Kashmir, I seen a beautiful such example, an eunuch was having a Chicken Tikka stall in the market; I really wanted to click a photo of him but I never wanted him to think him as an alien, hence I watched him in pleasure and thought what if these fellows of us can openly work and have education in our colleges and universities, they could not only earn a living for them but can revive the glorious history. They can share the burden of economy by becoming a solid pillar.

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Munaza Kazmi holds MPhil in Management Sciences (Bahria University Islamabad, 2020). She’s a travel writer, an author, & co-author of scientific contributions in national & international publications. Her main areas of research include tourism & quality management.

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