Transindia

TRANSINDIA is a moving documentary exploring the Transgender community (Hijras) in Ahmedabad, India. Many years ago, in India, Mughal Empire very much accepted Hijras in society, they earned a good sense of respect and were found in ancient Hindu scriptures. However, when the British colonised India in the 18th Century, the British Raj introduced a new law. Section 26 of The Criminal Tribes Act 1871 (Act XXVII) classified all Hijras as criminals, stating 'any Eunuch so registered who appears, dressed or ornamented like a woman, in a public street or place, or who dances or plays music, or any public exhibition, may be arrested without warrant, and shall be punished with imprisonment to two years, or with a fine, or with both.' The 1871 Act was repealed in 1952, where the Indian Government replaced it with the Habitual Offenders Act, hence releasing lists of Eunuchs