May 4, 1998

Parents put their children in the care of eunuchs in a unique slum school.

By Sanjay Kumar Jha

There is nothing unusual in the high-pitched sounds of "ka se kabootar, kha se khargosh ..." emanating from the small, thatched structure in a poor neighbourhood on the banks of the Ganges. Or the chatter and laughter of small children as they eat their meagre khichdi on Saturdays. It's what one hears in any school across the country. But there's a difference: the Jhuggi Jhonpri Bal Vikas Vidyalaya is no ordinary school, but the symbol of acceptance for the eunuchs of the Gaighat area of Patna. And it is the realisation of a dream for Rajkumari alias Lalan Hijra.

Rajkumari loved children, and the sight of the children of Gaighat's slums playing cards and getting into brawls all day troubled her. She motivated the eunuch community of the area to help her build a school for them. The eunuchs were willing, but the people of the area weren't ready for it.

Breaking through the wall of social prejudice was their first hurdle. When the JJ Bal Vikas Vidyalaya was set up in 1993, only a handful of people sent their children to it. Though familiar with the eunuchs, the people feared entrusting their little ones to them. This, despite the fact that they charged no fees, distributed free books and even provided meals. They used their contacts with former MP Ramkripal Yadav and Bihar's energy minister Shyam Rajak -- the eunuchs often entertain MLAs and ministers at their residences during festivals -- to get government land for the school. Yadav and Rajak also promised a government grant. But that has yet to materialise and the school is run entirely on the money the eunuchs earn by singing and dancing at weddings and festivals. They pay all the school's expenses of about Rs 46,000 a year.

It took some time for the eunuchs to win over the parents. Says Giridhar Prasad Sinha, one of the teachers: "Initially, the people were sceptical, but gradually with their dedication the eunuchs have gained their confidence." It is a measure of that confidence that the school today has 150 students. That confidence has now given way to outright admiration. Says Sheela Devi, wife of a rickshawpuller, whose children go to the school: "Na kewal padhai, balki doosri samasyaon mein bhi yeh hijre hamara saath dete hain. Veh to hamare liye sarkar se bhi badhkar hain (The eunuchs help us in solving problems other than our children's education too. They give us more than the government does)."

The junior high school not only teaches regular subjects like Hindi, english, maths and science, but also trains students in sewing, embroidery and painting. Four of the teachers are eunuchs, while two physically challenged persons are paid Rs 400 a month to teach the higher classes. Not very well educated themselves, the eunuchs teach children in the lower classes. Rajkumari now has big plans for her small school: government approval and assistance to extend it up to the high-school level. Says S. Narayan, prominent sociologist and professor at the A.N. Sinha Institute of Social Studies, Patna: "These eunuchs are certainly getting social recognition, but they need support from other organisations for the project to be a big success." The lack of funds, however, does not bother Rajkumari. "Paisa zindagi nahin hai, shiksha zindagi hai, jiske bina aadmi adhura hai (Money is not everything, education is. Without it man is incomplete)."

There have been other problems too. In the past five years, the school has been ravaged by fire twice. Though the eunuchs rallied around and rebuilt the school after the blaze in 1994, the fire on March 20 this year has left them feeling helpless. "Aag hamari zindagi ke saath kroor mazak kar rahi hai (Fire is playing a cruel joke on us)," says Rajkumari. Their appeals for official help have drawn no response so far. But never the ones to be put down by the vagaries of fate, the eunuchs have started rebuilding their school with the money they have. "The school will rise from its ashes once again," says Rajkumari, her face shining with the courage of her convictions.

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