Bringing India's transgenders into the mainstream
By Urvashi Butalia
Published: February 26, 2011
http://tribune.com.pk/story/124276/bringing-indias-transgenders-into-the-mainstream/For the last decade or more, I've been working with Mona Ahmed, a hijra, on writing her life. Mona lives in a large compound called Mehendiyan — named after the mehendi trees that once dotted its gardens — close to the walls of the old city of Delhi. Here, local lore is still rife with the stories of a legendary hijra couple, Sona and Chaman, whose lives were split, like those of millions of others, at Partition. Tall, handsome and striking to look at (Sona died some years ago but Chaman is still around, ninety years old, stunningly beautiful), Sona and Chaman were forced to think of nationalities at Partition, and while Sona left for Pakistan, Chaman stayed on in India.
Mona is Chaman's chela. Ostracised from her community, she now lives on her own and faces a difficult life. India and Pakistan are among the few countries in the world where eunuchs still exist.
