By IANS,
New Delhi : Speaking of the “pain and difficulties in surviving in society with respect”, a eunuch from Rajasthan has approached the Supreme Court demanding “a life better than those of animals” for the community.
In a lawsuit filed in the court’s registry Tuesday, Sonam Singh has sought a direction to the government to form an all-India panel on the lines of those for Dalits, tribals, minorities, women and others to examine the issue of eunuchs’ welfare in a systematic and comprehensive way.
“It’s only a eunuch who knows the pain and difficulties in surviving in society in a respectful and gracious manner. As a eunuch, I alone know the pain and humiliation which I face day in and day out, despite the fact that eunuchs never harm others in society and only pray for the well-being of all,” Singh said in the petition.
“The country has no record of even eunuchs’ population and the Election Commission of India never bothered to decide what sex should be attributed to them.”
Seeking the court’s intervention “to protect their dignity as human beings as envisaged in the constitution”, Singh said: “The government has left eunuchs at the mercy of god and even the animals are in a better position than kinnars (eunuchs).
“Ninety-nine percent of eunuchs are either illiterate or semi-literate, having no source of income, except begging. More than 1.5 millions eunuchs are physically challenged and neglected by the theior families and are bound to die a bitter death,” said Singh in the petition.