You see someone on the road and remember the person and the entire scene for sometime. Be it a cute child, a playing kid, a kid working instead of studying, a honest seller, a cute girl or a handsome guy. You can get this picture on your mind whenever you want for a span of few days or months or sometimes, forever. I came across one such individual today while waiting for my bus. I cannot predict how long I’ll get the picture of this individual. But I couldn’t resist thinking about this person for at least an hour after this encounter.
Wearing a pink sari, a handkerchief turned into a scarf, walking over the road and demanding money to every single person on the road. Most of them succumbing to the demands of this individual. Of course, I gave my share of 5 bucks too. A gentleman who passed by asked me with irritation “Why are you giving money?”.
“I do not give money to beggars unless they are old. I do not even encourage those women who come with a small child and ask for money on the roads. India becomes a beggar country only if we encourage begging. A lady with a small child sells ear buds. With so much appreciation for her efforts, I bought them. Realizing they were of low quality, I decided to buy only things I really want. For the sake of thinking that I saved a young woman from her plights with 10 bucks, would I want to make me or my family members deaf?” Emotional blackmailing.
In this instance, I didn’t give money out of fear but guilt. The guilt of being a part of the society which has recognized this individual for nothing more than belonging to Homo Sapiens. Haven’t we classified a part of Homo Sapiens as ‘Eunuchs’? When we can accept dishonest and opportunistic people for our leaders, Why can’t we accept these people into our daily lives? What kind of support have we given for people with transgender problems? A person identified as male by birth and having XX chromosome is not his fault.
What have we provided them to lead a normal life? A Chinese proverb says “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime”. Even if someone teaches this individual how to fish, Who will buy fish? Or Who will ever sell fishing equipments to this person? The government has recognized them by adding another option E to gender in Indian Passports. The media acknowledges beauty competitions among them and publishes a big picture of the beauty queen on newspaper. How is this going help earn their own bread and butter?
“God doesn’t have gender. So do you”. Dumb Talk. The only recognition of belonging to the human race is also lost. Untouchability will not erode from this country unless we accept all human beings as our equals.
P.S: I’m leaving this post title less to represent the inequality we as a society impose on few human beings.
