Hello Hindustan with Kapil Krishnaswamy (13) - Jail clueless where to keep eunuch

The authorities of Bargarh jail, 370 kilometre from Bhubaneshwar in Orissa, are in a dilemma over the issue of housing a eunuch, sentenced for a small pick-pocketing offence, as the male prisoners have refused to allow him into their cells.

Known as "Hijras", these eunuchs are basically males castrated at puberty but are considered as "She". While they are officially barred from women's wards, officers say initial attempts at placing Sudam Dharua, the eunuch, in males cell proved disastrous. He was teased incessantly by other prisoners, who often even tried to strip him naked or beat him simply for being different.

The shy Dharua, at present, hangs around the jailor's main office during daytime and sleeps near the guard's barracks, where the policemen can keep an eye on him.

"We are counting him as a male but he looks like a female, hence he cannot be put in the men's cell. During the daytime, he has been put up in the office, but we have to shift him to a cell at night, as we cannot keep in him in the office. A policeman has to guard him when he is in the cell. So we are facing a lot of problems regarding him," says Sanjay Berma, assistant jailor of the Bargarh prison.

"I cannot stay in the male cell. Those people will not keep me. At night a policeman keeps watch while I sleep here. In the male cells, the prisoners are constantly passing comments on me, they tug at my feminine clothes. I cannot stay there," says Dharua.

These eunuchs, wearing heavy make-up and colourful saris, usually visit wedding parties for dancing. They often charge money from the family members.

The dancing skills, dress and flamboyance of eunuchs decides their charges. But many of them live in extreme poverty. They often get exploited and victimised by the middlemen, pimps and contractors, who lease them out to self-styled event managers.

The unofficial estimates put the number of eunuchs in India at around 500,000.