Vadodara: The next time any eunuch comes to your family function and hands over a visiting card while leaving, don’t be surprised.
Eunuchs from the city have gone professional and are printing visiting cards for their ‘customers’. The visiting cards have complete details of the eunuchs along with their addresses and phone numbers.
“The idea of getting our own own visiting cards printed struck us when the trend fake eunuchs picked up. Many men dressed up as eunuchs and visited different residential colonies in the city. They demanded money or valuables from people who hosted social of family functions,” said Anju Maasi, one of the leaders of the eunuch community.
“The fake eunuchs behaved very rudely with people who took them for real ones. It didn’t just sully our image but also caused losses to us as they took away money given for good omen by people. So we decided to print our visiting cards and give it to people,” Anju Maasi told TOI.
The cards carry photographs of the ‘real’ eunuchs with their names and it clearly states that money (offerings) should be given only to them. “We tell people to give money only to those whose photos are printed in the cards. Also, we ask them to give us a call if they suspect someone to be a fake eunuch,” Anju Maasi added.
Another eunuch, Asha Maasi said that the fake eunuchs also resort to crimes. “They visit residential colonies and do recce of different homes that are burgled later. It gives us a bad name. From the time, we have begun handing out our visiting cards, the number of fake eunuchs in the city has gone down. Whenever, people spot any duplicate eunuch in their area, they give us a call,” said Asha Maasi and added that they confront the fake ones.
“Also, whenever people have marriage function at home, do house-warming or have kids, they directly call us on our mobile number,” she said.
