Just yesterday, in a heart rending incident, a transgender was gang-raped while two people were shot dead in Swabi, a district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P)
They were a group of transgenders going home after performing a music and dance show at a wedding
On their way home, some armed men stopped them and tried to abduct them
As the group refused, the men opened fire which resulted in the death of one transgender and the drummer of their group
The men then kidnapped one of the transgenders and gang-raped him
While the incident was reported by the media, isn’t it ironic that none of the NGOs, who claim to be supporters of human rights and more, raised a voice to condemn this heinous crime against a community known as the ‘third gender’ in Pakistan
Perhaps it’s because these organisations do not consider marginalised communities as human beings
This is not the first time a transgender person has been raped and it certainly will not be the last
Transgender persons in Pakistan will continue to suffer at the hands of their countrymen
Traditionally, known for their music and dance skills performed at wedding ceremonies, parties and other functions
At parties, many transgender people are sexually assaulted by drunken men and upon resistance, they are threatened and tortured
From K-P to Karachi, the transgender community demands money for the only job they are allowed to do, music and dance, and even then they are often exploited
Apart from being victims of lusty men, the third gender community in Pakistan are also victimised by police officials – officials who are meant to protect you from harm, people you go to for help, the guardians of our lives
The police are even reluctant to register their First Information Reports (FIRs)
However, in yesterday’s incident, the police managed to track down and arrest the culprits involved in the kidnapping and murder
This just goes to show that the police are capable of helping the transgender community when they want to
Question being, why don’t they stand up for the transgender community on regular basis? In a country that gave this community a right to their identity just a couple of years ago, there is no one to hear them out
Their tears go unnoticed, their pleas for justice fall on deaf ears and their misery is forever ignored
They have been treated as nothing more than a ‘laughing stock’ for our society, a source of amusement and oddity
A mere object, not human
Deprived of rights guaranteed to every citizen by the Constitution of Pakistan, the transgender community continues to face oppression and neglect
If the society and the government will not give them their due place, perhaps the responsibility lies on the media to give them the voice they deserve
Bring attention to their issues, highlight the hate crimes against them, broadcast their protests, start awareness campaigns, change the attitude of the society — the media can become their only hope to salvation
But will it?
| Date: | 07-Apr-2015 | Reference: | View Original Link |
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