Dancing eunuchs taxing red-faced shopkeepers

[almaty 19]

KOLKATA, India (Reuters) - Dancing and singing eunuchs are knocking on doors in the Indian city of Patna in a bid to embarrass shopkeepers into paying their taxes.

The new shock strategy, in which sari-clad and heavily made up eunuchs accompany officials on their rounds of crowded shopping areas in a country notorious for tax evasion and non-payment, has been declared a success.

"Some paid in cash, while others quickly wrote checks. The shock therapy, which we plan to use sparingly, was a grand success," Atul Prasad, a top official in impoverished Bihar state, of which Patna is the capital, told Reuters Friday.

The novel tax-collection technique kicked off Wednesday, with boisterous eunuchs loudly demanding that mortified shopkeepers pay up -- to the bemusement of scores of onlookers.

Taxmen pocketed 425,000 rupees ($9,570) from defaulters in a few hours.

"People may be afraid of them, but they are very much part of society and are useful," Prasad said, adding that authorities would pay the eunuchs a four percent commission on the total tax collected.

Eunuchs are still common in India, where they live in closed-knit communities. Some are castrated men but others are transsexuals and hermaphrodites who have been ostracized by their families.

Also known as hijras, they are widely feared and move around towns and cities in groups and demand money on occasions such as marriage or the birth of a child. They are believed to have occult powers.

Those unwilling to pay sometimes face lewd dances, lifted saris, and abuse

[Jenn! 918]

Eunuchs are still common in India, where they live in closed-knit communities. Some are castrated men but others are transsexuals and hermaphrodites who have been ostracized by their families.

Well, then they're not eunuchs.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Eunuchs are still common in India, where they live in closed-knit communities. Some are castrated men but others are transsexuals and hermaphrodites who have been ostracized by their families.

Well, then they're not eunuchs.

It's complicated. Most of them are castrated and they live in these hijra (the Indian word for eunuchs) colonies in the outskirts of most major cities where they can live in safety and without being harassed. Power in numbers, if you will. Many cross dressers, hermaphrodites, etc ... anyone who doesn't fit in... go to these hijra colonies to live with the hijras. When hijras show up in the city to do their song and dance and extortion routine, they all come together, they are all hijras as far as the rest of the world is concerned.

They're actually quite a sight. You can hear them coming from far away...they sing loudly and have instruments.. and the 'music' is awful. They show up (at least in northern india) at a wealthy household that just had a new baby boy and ask for money... if you don't pay up, they take the child and castrate him, raise him as one of them. They also show up at weddings and act vulgar to the groom and members of his family, like grab crotches and exclaim out loud how small the ####### is.... they won't go away till you pay them.

Many north indian weddings will have people with rifles on guard. The hijras stay away from those. No indian cop will bother prosecuting a dead hijra.

ETA: I forgot to mention... when a baby boy is born, they show up and if the family pays, the hijras bless the child.. many Hindu families consider that blessing to be important and value it. The hijras will also protect that child (in theory) from bad guys. Of course they live so far away so they never do (or can).

Edited November 10, 2006 by Gupt

[one...two...tree 2,762]

...it beats the ol' Louisville Slugger across the shins technique.

[Jenn! 918]

They show up (at least in northern india) at a wealthy household that just had a new baby boy and ask for money... if you don't pay up, they take the child and castrate him, raise him as one of them.

What!?

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

They show up (at least in northern india) at a wealthy household that just had a new baby boy and ask for money... if you don't pay up, they take the child and castrate him, raise him as one of them.

What!?

There's something they say back in India... "yeh India hai meri jaan"... means "this is India, my love".. the implication being, don't be surprised, anything can happen!

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Eunuchs are still common in India, where they live in closed-knit communities. Some are castrated men but others are transsexuals and hermaphrodites who have been ostracized by their families.

Well, then they're not eunuchs.

It's complicated. Most of them are castrated and they live in these hijra (the Indian word for eunuchs) colonies in the outskirts of most major cities where they can live in safety and without being harassed. Power in numbers, if you will. Many cross dressers, hermaphrodites, etc ... anyone who doesn't fit in... go to these hijra colonies to live with the hijras. When hijras show up in the city to do their song and dance and extortion routine, they all come together, they are all hijras as far as the rest of the world is concerned.

They're actually quite a sight. You can hear them coming from far away...they sing loudly and have instruments.. and the 'music' is awful. They show up (at least in northern india) at a wealthy household that just had a new baby boy and ask for money... if you don't pay up, they take the child and castrate him, raise him as one of them. They also show up at weddings and act vulgar to the groom and members of his family, like grab crotches and exclaim out loud how small the ####### is.... they won't go away till you pay them.

Many north indian weddings will have people with rifles on guard. The hijras stay away from those. No indian cop will bother prosecuting a dead hijra.

ETA: I forgot to mention... when a baby boy is born, they show up and if the family pays, the hijras bless the child.. many Hindu families consider that blessing to be important and value it. The hijras will also protect that child (in theory) from bad guys. Of course they live so far away so they never do (or can).

Gay terrorists?

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Gay terrorists?

I wouldn't call them terrorists. Criminals/extortionists, maybe.

[Jenn! 918]

They show up (at least in northern india) at a wealthy household that just had a new baby boy and ask for money... if you don't pay up, they take the child and castrate him, raise him as one of them.

What!?

There's something they say back in India... "yeh India hai meri jaan"... means "this is India, my love".. the implication being, don't be surprised, anything can happen!

That's too bad. All those good rich people genes going to waste!

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

They show up (at least in northern india) at a wealthy household that just had a new baby boy and ask for money... if you don't pay up, they take the child and castrate him, raise him as one of them.

What!?

There's something they say back in India... "yeh India hai meri jaan"... means "this is India, my love".. the implication being, don't be surprised, anything can happen!

Crazy sh!t. Over on some on the Thai boards I'm on they say ####### (This is Thailand) to explain the unexplainable about Thailand.

[Ban Hammer 13,336]

Eunuchs are still common in India, where they live in closed-knit communities. Some are castrated men but others are transsexuals and hermaphrodites who have been ostracized by their families.

Well, then they're not eunuchs.

It's complicated. Most of them are castrated and they live in these hijra (the Indian word for eunuchs) colonies in the outskirts of most major cities where they can live in safety and without being harassed. Power in numbers, if you will. Many cross dressers, hermaphrodites, etc ... anyone who doesn't fit in... go to these hijra colonies to live with the hijras. When hijras show up in the city to do their song and dance and extortion routine, they all come together, they are all hijras as far as the rest of the world is concerned.

They're actually quite a sight. You can hear them coming from far away...they sing loudly and have instruments.. and the 'music' is awful. They show up (at least in northern india) at a wealthy household that just had a new baby boy and ask for money... if you don't pay up, they take the child and castrate him, raise him as one of them. They also show up at weddings and act vulgar to the groom and members of his family, like grab crotches and exclaim out loud how small the ####### is.... they won't go away till you pay them.

Many north indian weddings will have people with rifles on guard. The hijras stay away from those. No indian cop will bother prosecuting a dead hijra.

ETA: I forgot to mention... when a baby boy is born, they show up and if the family pays, the hijras bless the child.. many Hindu families consider that blessing to be important and value it. The hijras will also protect that child (in theory) from bad guys. Of course they live so far away so they never do (or can).

Gay terrorists?

now there is a group you can support, steven!