Patna eunuchs fight gender bias

PATNA: The eunuchs in Patna are up in arms against the Election Commission’s decision to derecognise them as belonging to the ‘female’ gender to contest in the ensuing civic elections.

The election process for the civic bodies in Bihar, including the Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) is on and the candidates willing to contest the polls are already filing their papers.

The trouble started when a sitting ward councillor of PMC, Kali Hizra went to file her papers from ward no. 16 which has been reserved for women. Kali was told by the authorities that she can not file her papers for the councillor’s post as it had been reserved for women.

Kali’s contention is that she had contested the PMC elections in 2002 from ward no. 10 which was reserved for women and she won the polls. Moreover, the electronic photo identity card issued to her and her fellow eunuchs by the Election Commission of India also categorises them as ‘female’.

“Why then are we not being allowed to contest the polls from these reserved seats?” they asked.