Hijraalante yevaru
On October 10, 2014, the Telangana Hijra Intersex Transgender Samiti staged a historic all-day rally (Swabhimana Sabha/ Self-Respect Forum) at Indira Park, Hyderabad. The event was organised to protest the spate of violence against transwomen in the city and to press for immediate implementation of transgender welfare and protection measures in the state based on the Supreme Court’s NALSA verdict.
On the occasion, Sarath Naliganti, President of the Dalit Bahujan Culture Association of Osmania University, sang ‘Hijraalante yevaru’, a song he had composed and set to tune. He subsequently rendered the song on November 3, at the release of the Telugu translation of Revathi’s autobiography in OU.
The song is a powerful and moving articulation of solidarity with the Hijra community and movement.
Do you know who hijras are, my friend?
– By Sarath Naliganti (Translated by Srivatsan. Scroll below for Telugu text)
Do you know who hijras are, my friend?
We are humanity’s diamonds!
With pearls of our tears
We string tales for your ears
With the burn of humiliation
We feed our starvation
As we follow with dignity and self respect
Our chosen way
Do you know who hijras are, my friend?
We are humanity’s diamonds!
As citizens and denizens scorn us each day
They pass us
As family and friends bid us to not to stay
With them
Though our hearts hang heavy with sorrow
We have never raised our voice in protest
Banished from the loveless womb
We swear by sisterhood’s redemption
Do you know who hijras are, my friend?
We are filled with love without end!
Vedas and Shastras revered as the foundations
Ramayana and Bharata as great epics of yore
Sing
Of Arjuna as Brihannala
The goddess fair
Of Sikhandi’s womanly courage
A synonym of war
Today
Ayyappa, of Hari Hara (Vishnu and Siva)
With no womb to bear him
Garland and chant hymns to his grace
As Ardhanareshwara (the man-woman god) is Siva
Do tell the Purana’s generous tales
If the gods above you
Are Hari Hara and Ayyappa
Why then among you,
untouchable,
is the Hijra?
Do you know who hijras are?
We are in your midst as friends!
Thanks to Sarath for permission to reproduce the original text (with translation by Srivatsan) above, Ravi of DalitCamera for consent to post the video, and Greeshma and Karthik Bittu of THITS for their support.
An excellent heart felt song. Very moving if you know telugu.