Why the Prejudice?
Flipping TV channels in the evening today, I came across the program "Awam ki Awaz" on CNBC Pakistan and the topic for the episode was "Prejudice towards Hijras" (Hijra is an urdu word for members from the third gender). While the host interviewed different people from this community, asking them why they don’t choose to go for professions like others(men and women) do, most of them said, "..because of the attitude of these men and women" i.e. because of us, the so called normal people. One of them told that she had studied till intermediate and wanted to study even further to become a doctor but had to quit because of the attitude of society towards them. According to them, people often end up making their life miserable and force them to go for the conventional "hijra" get up and activities even if they are not willing to.
As I watched the program, I realized how majority usually treats them with disgust and then various questions flooded my mind. Why don’t we let them lead their lives as we do? Get education and go for careers as we do, being what they really are? Why do we expect them to conceal their gender before they could work/study with us? Why the "Eww" feeling even when some of them actually make it big being famous designers/make up artists, we proudly wear what they design and pay thousands to get a makeover done from their salons?
Why can’t we simply accept them as they are and enable them to contribute to the society in more positive ways. No wonder one of them might end up doing something to make us and this country feel proud of! So, is this prejudice ever going to end?
Minorities, whether on account of race or religion or sexual orientation or any other reason, are often treated with disdain that varies only in degree, I find, by the majority. Unfortunately, the levels of formal education of members of the majority generally have little bearing on the way they treat members of the minorities.
Comment by Sidhusaaheb — April 9, 2009 @ 2:21 am
I’m one of those people who don’t approve of their psychological deviance, but I also don’t have any right to discriminate some one based on their choices…
I think we, as a nation are still behind in acceptance and that’s one of the reasons that’s hindering our progress… who knows, one of these people, if given equal opportunity, might invent a cure for a disease or a business model that works or something…
Comment by Saqib — April 9, 2009 @ 10:52 am
I think when we forget that they - too - are human beings like us.
Comment by AamirRaz — April 9, 2009 @ 7:41 pm
I agree to the statement of AamirRaz ..
and we should avoid this ‘Eww’ feeling
Comment by jingoist — April 12, 2009 @ 9:20 pm
am glad someone is on the same page as me
I seriously dream of making an NGO for these minorities to facilitate them and rid them of the prejudice.
Comment by Sana — April 14, 2009 @ 5:05 pm