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The “K” word

By: Santosh :+: Under: Culture, Entertainment, It Happens Only in India
On: ⋅ February 8, 2007 ⋅ Email this post Email this post ⋅ Print this post Print this post ⋅ Post a comment
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Traffic Signal
This movie used the “K” word


K for kinner. What is a kinner?

The people of Kinnaur in Himachal Pradesh have traditionally been referred to as Kinners. The term Kinnauras is also widely used.

Unlike most ethnic groups which follow one religion, the kinners are a multi-religion people.

The Kinnauras consist of the Rajputs or Khosias and the Berus. The Khosias include Hindus and Buddhists. The former are dominant in Nichar, Sangla and Kalpa areas while the latter dominate the tracts adjoining Tibet and Spiti.

And, more importantly, kinner women are hot.

The women of Kinnaur are famous for their beauty and there are many references to it in books of olden times. According to the old scriptures, the Kinner Kanyas (girls) were famous for their beauty and were used as Vish Kanyas (poison girls) by the kings and royal families to overcome their enemies through their seductive “talents”.

So why is kinner the “K” word? In yet another blatant example of state government’s interference in media, Madhur Bhandarkar’s recently released movie, Traffic Signal, was banned by the Himachal Pradesh state government for the use of the “K” word.

Himachal Pradesh has banned Madhur Bhandarkar’s just-released film ‘Traffic Signal’ for using the word ‘kinner’ to denote eunuchs.
Tribals from the state’s Kinnaur district are upset over the use of the term in the film, which takes a peek into the lives of people living near traffic signals in metros.
The people of the district maintain that under the constitution only they have the privilege of being called ‘kinners’. They have demanded that the film be banned across the country.

This is not the first time the Himachal Pradesh state government has decided to get cute with movies.

In 2001, the government banned a film titled ‘Kohram’ as it had a villain called Virbhadra Singh, the name of the chief minister. The ban still continues.

What is not clear to me is that in a country where political correctness is a phoren term, is there a provision in the Constitution reserving the “K” word to these folks? Lets take the “M” word - Madrasi. This should mean someone from Madras(Chennai). But across the nation any dark skinned South Indian is called a “Madrasi” – irrespective of whether they are from Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad or Cochin. So why would these folks get so offended is someone else was called the “K” word? The reason is simple – since it was used to denote “eunuchs” and somehow perceived as “inferior” in the Indian society. Just more example of the double standards among our people when it comes to racism and discrimination.

Kinners
Do they ever remove the blindfolds?
(image: via http://library.advanced.org)


Three questions arise from this story: Do the Himachal Pradesh resident kinners have a copyright on the “K” word? Should the state government ban a movie because it used the “K” word to denote some other group? (hint: the answer has two letters, starts with a “N” and ends with an “O”). Why would Madhur Bhandarkar use the “K” word to denote eunuchs when they are commonly known as hijras?

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3 comments for “The “K” word”

  1. 1: S.R.Harnot | February 28, 2007, 1:52 am | Direct Link

    Kindly see this:’the people of Kinnaur District belongs to Kinnaur or Kinnar Tribe which is recognized as Scheduled Tribe under the Scheduled Tribes List(modification) order 1956 and the State of HImachal Pradesh Act, 1970′. ( constitution of India). Perhaps your have read the famous book written by Mahapandi Rahul Sankritayayan..title *Kinner Desh*. He has widely discussed the ancient Devyoni Kinner in this book. From Kinner Desh the present Kinnaur distict has been derived and habitants/tribas of this district still known as Kinners. Firstly I objected this in the year 2000 and in Aapril, 2001 this was discussed in Himachal Vidhan Sabha and passed a resolution that to use Kinner for eunuchs is wrong. Again when Madur Bhandarkar refers this to eunuchs in his numbers of interviews he gave on TV News channels it created storm in HImachal Pradesh and the state Govt. have to banned the film. It also again discussed in HP Vidhan Sabha in the present session and decided to take up this matter with the Central Govt. We have also decided to go to Hon’ble court in this regard so that this work Kinner could not be used for eunuchs in future.

    Can I send an article to you in Hindi in krudev o1o font. it gives details of the history and culture of Kinnaur and Kinners.

    S.R.Harnot author
    Shimla Himachal Pradesh

  2. 2: S.R.Harnot | March 5, 2007, 5:06 am | Direct Link

    HOW MADHUR BHANDARKAR AND OTHERS CALL EUNUCHS AS KINNER ? TRAFFIC SIGNAL SHOULD BAN FOR EVER IN HIMACHAL

    THIS IS OUR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY TO RESPECT THE EUNUCHS, BUT TO CALL THEM KINNERS ARE THE INSULT OF THE PEOPLE OF KINNAUR AND TOO OF ITELLECTUALS, WRITERS INCLUDING MAHAPANDIT RAHUL SANKRITAYAYAN WHO AUTHORED NUMBERS OF BOOKS ON KINNER DESH AND KINNER TRIBS. THE PEOPLE LIKE MADHUR BHANDARKAR, MAHESH BHUTT, ASHOK PANDIT, FILM PRODUCERS/DIRECTORS AND OTHERS WHO ARE EMPHASIZING CALLING EUNUCHS AS KINNERS ARE NOT ONLY DISGRACED HIMACHAL ESPECIALLY THE KINNER TRIBES OF KINNAUR BUT ALSO INSULTED THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA AND HIMACHAL VIDHAN SABHA. THE FILM MAKERS AND PRODUCES ARE ALWAYS FORGOTTON THAT ONLY THE BEST JUDGES OF THEIR FILMS ARE GENERAL MASSES AND THEY TOO CAN NOT BEAR THEIR DISGRACENEES IN ANY CASE. IT IS NOT THE MATTER THAT HOW MANY TIMES MADHUR BHANDARKAR HAS USED KINNER WORDS FOR EUNUCHS IN HIS FILM OR NOT, BUT IT IS SUFFICIENT THAT HE HAS PROMINENTLY SAID AND REFERRED IN HIS NUMBER OF INTERVIEWS GIVEN TO TV NEWS CHANNELS BEFORE THE RELEASE OF TRAFFIC SIGNAL THAT *HE HAS USED/TAKEN KINNERS IN HIS FILM*. WILL MR. BHANDARKAR KINDLY TELL US, THEY ARE EUNUCHS OR KINNERS—? HAD ALL BOOKS AND ANCIENT RELIGIOUS AND LITERARY GRANTHAS BEEN WRITTEN ON EUNUCHS…? ARE MAHAPANDIT RAHUL SANKRITAYAYAN HAS WRITTEN HIS FAMOUS BOOK *KINNER DESH* ON EUNUCHS? ARE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA HAVE RECOGNIZED THE INHABITANTS OF TRIBAL DISTRICT KINNAUR AS KINNER TRIBES AS EUNUCHS? REALLY IT IS SHAMEFULL ON THE PART OF MADHUR BHANDARKAR AND OTHERS WHO ARE CALLING EUNUCHS AS KINNER. THEY SHOULD RESPECT THE PEOPLE AND THEIR EMOTIONS WHEN THEY RELEASE THEIR FILMS AND SPEAK ON TO MEDIA ETC. The brief history of this issue is given below:

    Firstly this issue was raised during 2000 when some eunuchs like Shabnam Mausi in MP came in Politics, the Media thought proper to call them Kinners. It is by ignorance. But ignorance of law is no excuse. But immediately in Himachal they stopped it by honouring the people of Kinnaur. Being a writer, I at first, took-up the issue and issued a Press release on some dates i.e. 25th December, 2000 and it published in all News Paper. During April, 2001 this issue had been discussed in Himacghal Vidhan Sabha and criticized it by saying that Kinners could not be called to eunuchs. Again when Madhur Bhandarkar, before the release of the Traffic Signal, gave numbers of interviews to TV News Channel and said that the Kinners are also acting in his film. He has referred some eunuchs working in his Film as Kinner. We took a serious note of it and again released a Press Note against this. A storm has been come up in Himachal . Not only the people of Himchal, Medias, writers and intellectuals but people of Kinnaur district objected it. The Himachal Government then banned the film. We also had a talk to Mr. Madhur Bhandarkar on his mobile but his reaction was very unusual. and disgraceful. Mr. Bhandarkar alongwith his film colleagues like Mahesh Bhutt and Ashok Pandit etc.etc. did a Press Conference in Mumbai and criticized the Himachal Pradesh and HP Government in this regard. I would not hesitate to say it that they all not only insulted again the Himachal People but also insulted the HP Vidhan Sabha. Please read this:
    ‘the people of Kinnaur District belongs to Kinnaur or Kinnar Tribe which is recognized as Scheduled Tribe under the Scheduled Tribes List(modification) order 1956 and the State of HImachal Pradesh Act, 1970′.

    S.R.Harnot

  3. 3: Santosh | March 8, 2007, 9:00 am | Direct Link

    Can I send an article to you in Hindi in krudev o1o font. it gives details of the history and culture of Kinnaur and Kinners.

    You sure can. Please look up our email addresses from the About Us page.

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