Happy clappy brigade

Even as the issue of more brave women in the army is yet to be resolved, another worthy lot has been identified as potential jawans — or jawanis. Eunuchs in the army at cut-rate salaries? Yes, our version of dancing with the wars.

The Indian Army can always do with more brave men. But even as the issue of more brave women is yet to be resolved, another worthy lot has been identified as potential jawans — or jawanis. The idea is to set up a special army unit comprising hijras. The idea is an excellent one, a horde of eunuchs clapping the enemy to death and threatening to lift their petticoats if the adversary doesn’t give ground.

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One must commend Arunachal Pradesh Home Minister Tako Dabi for the plan. “Like Shikhandi [the gender-changing eunuch whose help came in handy when killing Bhishma at Kurukshetra], the almost invincible character in the Mahabharata, they can work as a shield, standing guard against the attack of preying Chinese on the eastern and Pakistanis on the northern frontier,” said Mr Dabi. What was perhaps less helpful was the minister’s reasons for utilising eunuchs in battle. “Most eunuchs don’t have families and can be selfless... A military career will give them a respectable livelihood,” he added. That sounds perilously like dipping into the country’s estimated 27 lakh eunuch population as cannon fodder and channelising their ‘aggression’ to a wholesome social activity like fighting wars.

Mr Dabi has sent his plan stating that eunuchs “can be employed with minimum supportive amount in the form of salary”, must remember that hijras have a way of getting more money for their services than planned.