This refers to the interesting news item about holding a beauty competition for eunuchs in Chennai. It is a step in the right direction to bring the 'Third' Sex' into the mainstream of life. Recently, the leader of the newly-constituted Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) expressed willingness to allow a small pension of Rs. 300 per month for eunuchs. But this is absurd, because in our society, eunuchs are already earning huge amounts by embarrassing the general public and dancing at auspicious family functions and on special occasions throughout the year. The Union Government should take every possible step to make eunuchs lead a normal human life in their families of birth. Disowning a eunuch-child by its family should be made a crime, and such parents should lose all State-provided facilities apart from being imprisoned. Eunuchs are the most dominated section of society created by nature. There should be reservations for them in every field like education, government service, and the legislature. A eunuch-child should have a unique right to get automatic admission in any educational institution (private or government) with State funding.

In ancient and medieval times, eunuchs were employed by the States. They worked as spies, and proved very loyal and trustworthy. Malik Kafur, an eunuch in the Delhi Sultanate, even became a great warrior, conquering the whole of South India for Allauddin Khilji.

If properly trained from birth, eunuchs can be a boon rather than a bane for society.

Business of Votebanks

Vijay Sanghvi (DayAfter, May 1-15) has rightly analysed the business of votebanks and how politicians exploit even human misery and suffering to gain a few votes to help them grab power or retain their seats of power. It is really shameful that a politician, who is supposed to command respect and support of his constituents by virtue of his personality, character and attributes has now to depend on ‘dead bodies’ to gain a following. What a state of affairs!

There was a time when people from respectable backgrounds, with their own means of support and livelihood, used to enter politics to serve the nation and the people.

Because there was no need for financial benefits, at least for themselves, such people rose to great heights in the field of politics and earned the goodwill and adulation of the common man. And because their motives were genuinely to serve the nation, they could achieve results that benefited the public at large.

See the situation today. Many of our politicians are history sheeters with criminal backgrounds. Many others are those with no other visible means of livelihood and have reached the ‘seats of power’ either through duplicity, crookery or musclepower. They have only a three-point programme: Make money, make money, and make money, the country and the people be damned. It is pitiable that many of our so-called rulers are today of this category.

One is therefore not surprised at Vijay Sanghvi’s analysis of the business of votebanks (Dayafter, May 1-16). He has hit the nail on the head and brought to the forefront how the public is being duped by our political leaders just for their own petty political gain. It is time that the public realises this and keeps this fact in mind when the next elections are held.

Remarriage of Untrue Minds

There are no permanent enemies and no permanent friends in politics. This adage has been proved once again in Uttar Pradesh with the installation of the Mayawati-led BSP-BJP coalition government in that state. What happens to the voters who had cast their votes for the BJP. Most of them had done so believing that the BJP was the answer to their problems. But the party they had given their valuable vote to has gone and sold itself to the BSP. If the people of Uttar Pradesh had wanted a BSP government, would they have not voted for the BSP?

Is not this a betrayal of the faith of the voter?