Sunshine story: This eunuch troupe from Pune begs to differ

They have been scorned by society and rejected from jobs despite having the qualifications required for it But this has not deterred a group of eunuchs from Pune who have now decided that they will no longer resort to begging at signals as a means of livelihood but will use their dancing skills to perform at shows Put together by a concerned citizen the group of ten eunuchs is preparing to perform the traditional Marathi folk dance lavani at Punersquos prestigious Bal Gandharva Rang Mandir tomorrowSunshine story Love for dancing helps woman beat breast cancerThe dance troupe with instructor Ravi Sangamnerkar extreme left and Satish Lalbhige sitting the Pune Municipal Corporation employee who brought them together What brings the group together is a common cause ndash a fight for dignity and the right to live in society with their heads heald high Many from the group hold bachelorrsquos degrees in engineering commerce and the like but they have been denied jobs purely because they didnrsquot conform to the binary norms of gender 25yearold Kunal Patil who identifies with the name Nisha has a degree in engineering but has been unable to find a job ldquoI realised I was different during my school days I even spoke to my parents about it but they ignored me I got a degree in mechanical engineering in 2012 and hunted for jobs Despite there being vacancies I wasnrsquot hired because of who I am I even worked at a showroom once but people would make fun of me and crack jokesrdquoNisha who had been fascinated with folk dance since childhood decided to pursue her passion and took dance lessons She earns Rs 2000 per stage show now and has the lead role in the lavani tomorrowThe show posterKedar Swami 23 who goes by the name Muskan and is from Kolhapur has a similar story to share ldquoI have a BCom degree and tried for a receptionistrsquos job or a back office job I ended up being sexually abused at work once and once on the road When I asked the authorities to take action they remained mum I left my hometown and came to Pune to look for a jobrdquoBut the job search was futile Muskan then did a beauty parlour course and managed to start a beauty parlour which even had a female employee But no women visited the outlet and she was forced to shut it down and take to begging ldquoWe are invited to an annual festival in PimpriChinchwad area where they pay us R5000 This sum is not enough to sustain a livelihoodrdquo she saidEmpoweredWhile most people tend to ignore or look down upon eunuchs it was the compassion of a Pune Municipal Corporation PMC employee that led to the group being formed Three months ago Satish Lalbhige a housekeeping staffer at Punersquos civic body happened to notice Muskan dancing at a toll naka while returning to Pune from KolhapurMumbai Good Samaritans track down return lost wallet to ownerThe group has been practising for eight hours a day for the last two weeks The 40yearold told midday ldquoI saw a eunuch dancing to some Bollywood music at the toll naka I couldnrsquot help but approach them and ask for their phone numbers Initially I thought I could help them get a job in the city But later when I interacted with them and learnt of their experiences I realised it was better if I give them a platform to showcase their talent This will also create awareness in the minds of citizens about their art and their livesrdquoLalbhige formed the group of ten eunuchs to give them an identity in the city and also engaged a professional lavani instructor Ravi Sangamnerkar to teach them the dance form Sangamnerkar praised the group for their zeal and their quick grasping powers and has worked with them to better their postures and even taught them a few Kathak moves Lalbhige is using his own savings to pay for the auditoriumrsquos rentFor the love of danceThe group believes it is the love for dance and the arts that will allow them to shine Shiv Lokhande aka Shivani who has a BA degree in History and hails from the Marathwada region of the state added ldquoAfter Lalbhige approached us we likeminded eunuchs came together For the last two weeks we have been practising at a house in Narayan Peth for eight hours every day Ravi sir is helping us a lot and we are watching videos of lavani dancesrdquoNisha signed off on a message of hope and positivity ldquoSome of my relatives think being a eunuch means we can only earn by begging or through the flesh trade But we too have the arts in us we can do a lot in life and we just need a platform to express ourselvesrdquoAnd there canrsquot be a better platform than an auditorium named after a man who achieved fame for playing female roles in Marathi plays