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| Little men who want to stand tall |
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Thursday, January 28, 2010
Afshan S. Khan
Rawalpindi
Since the creation of Pakistan, all governments, which came into power, have ignored our community. There have been no schools, no vocational institutions and no respectable jobs for us. The only job we are offered is that of a doorman at a five-star hotel. Are we not respectable members of society? Where do we stand? We were not born to be ridiculed by everyone; rather, we also want to become useful members of society.
Mohammad Irfan, a dwarf, vented out his emotions while talking exclusively to ‘The News’ here on Wednesday. He, along with three other dwarfs, operates the ‘Mystery House’ in the Jungle World Park and Zoo. His brother, also a dwarf, is employed as a doorman at a hotel in Rawalpindi.
Irfan said that Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry has asked the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) to collect data of eunuchs in the country and directed the government to utilise them for recovering loans and taxes from defaulters. “But nothing in this regard is being done for us — no data collection, no health or education facility, no support programme, no rehabilitation centre and no skill development scheme or stipend.”
“The government should also think about our welfare. We are left at the mercy of other people, who ridicule us. We would like to earn with dignity, pride and self-respect to become useful members of society,” he said. Irfan was of the view that many jobs could be created for female members of the dwarf community such as stitching, cooking or computer literacy — activities in which height is really not a hindrance.
Irfan with his colleagues, Mohammad Maqsood and Mohammad Masood, two brothers, alongside Arshad Mahmood, operate the ‘Mystery House’. People who visit this place must have seen these little guys, scaring people while operating bridges, computerised sound effects, electronic coffins, skeletons and mummies.
Irfan claimed that the Jungle World’s administration has been kind enough to provide the four dwarfs not only with employment but also food and accommodation. “Everywhere else, it’s always a showcase kind of a job for us, but here at the ‘Mystery House,’ we four are running it and strangely enough, people don’t make fun of us here, instead they cooperate with us,” he said and added that if the government is willing to make use of their potential in any way, they more than willing to be at service.
Talking to ‘The News,’ Director Jungle World Park and Zoo Lieutenant Colonel (r) Mohammad Tayyab said that as the ‘Mystery House’ is based on static machinery and runs on the same theme every time, these dwarfs add a human element to it and come up with unique ideas to entertain people, changing their acts accordingly.
“Earlier they were living in the wilderness and selling flowers on roads. We picked them up from there and employed them here. Now they have learned a lot through these years, have overcome their shyness and gained a lot of confidence. It is heartening to see that they are able to operate any battery operated swings and when someone is on leave, they undertake the job with the same responsibility. They are with us for the last six years and we are very satisfied with them. As and when there is another vacancy where their height is not a handicap, we’ll surely provide them with a respectable job,” he said.
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ISSN 1563-9479 
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