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laogaiguk
Joined: 06 Dec 2005
Location: somewhere in Korea
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 Posted: Thu Nov 09, 2006 5:47 pm Post subject: Indian eunuchs help collect taxes |
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Indian eunuchs help collect taxes
POSTED: 0113 GMT (0913 HKT), November 9, 2006
PATNA, India (AP) -- One cash-strapped Indian city has launched a unique collection service to dislodge payment from tax deadbeats: Door-to-door eunuchs.
Eunuchs, or men who lack external genitalia, are regarded as powerless in India and traditionally make a living on tips for dancing at weddings or blessing newborns.
But they are also known for extreme stubbornness and Patna, the capital of Bihar state in eastern India, hired scores of them Wednesday to compel shop owners to pay their tax arrears.
"We are confident that their reputation and persuasive skills will come in handy for the municipal authorities to collect taxes from defaulters," said Bharat Sharma, a revenue officer.
Only 2,000 of nearly half a million people have been paying property tax and water supply charges to Patna's municipal authorities, and tax collection is less than one-third of a projected tax base of $15 million, said Atul Prasad, the municipal administrator.
Dancing and singing to the beat of drums and wearing bright saris, the eunuchs met with success in their new role Wednesday. They collected about $9,000 in cash and checks from shop owners in the city, Sharma told The Associated Press.
Revenue officials accompany the eunuchs with records to settle the outstanding dues on the spot. The eunuchs get 4 percent of what they collect from defaulters.
The eunuchs would be asked to help collect outstanding taxes from private homes soon, Prasad said.
Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. |
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Ya-ta Boy
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: Established in 1994
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| Posted: Thu Nov 09, 2006 7:25 pm Post subject: |
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| Just how many spare eunuchs do they have laying around in India? |
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VanIslander
Joined: 18 Aug 2003
Location: Geoje, Hadong, Tongyeong,... now in a small coastal island town outside Gyeongsangnamdo!
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| Posted: Thu Nov 09, 2006 9:44 pm Post subject: |
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 ... A job creation strategy for convicted paedophiles willing to, er, "qualify" for the program. |
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tomato
Joined: 31 Jan 2003
Location: I get so little foreign language experience, I must be in Koreatown, Los Angeles.
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| Posted: Fri Nov 10, 2006 12:28 am Post subject: |
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I can't understand why "they are . . . known for extreme stubbornness."
I would think that stubbornness is a masculine trait,
so a loss of testosterone would decrease this trait. |
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cwemory
Joined: 14 Jan 2006
Location: Gunpo, Korea
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| Posted: Fri Nov 10, 2006 3:21 am Post subject: |
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| isn't there a well known cult or sect of men in India who mutilate their own genitalia? the men make a living off of panhandling. they threaten to show what's left of their genitalia if you dont pay. are these the same people? |
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huffdaddy
Joined: 25 Nov 2005
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| Posted: Fri Nov 10, 2006 4:40 am Post subject: |
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| tomato wrote: |
I can't understand why "they are . . . known for extreme stubbornness."
I would think that stubbornness is a masculine trait,
so a loss of testosterone would decrease this trait. |
You don't know anything about women do you? |
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Ya-ta Boy
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: Established in 1994
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| Posted: Fri Nov 10, 2006 4:50 am Post subject: |
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| isn't there a well known cult or sect of men in India who mutilate their own genitalia? |
I think so. They dance around and around and then go whack, snip, slash. Something to do with Kali or some other divine being I'd rather not know too much about. Must be related to Cybele. One of those religions that people who praise the benefits of religion skip over when they are busy praising. |
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dogshed
Joined: 28 Apr 2006
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| Posted: Fri Nov 10, 2006 5:18 am Post subject: The Hijra |
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I read a book about the Hijra for one of my anthropology classes. They concider themselves to be a third sex. Unlike eunichs in other cultures they remove thier penises along with their testes in a religious ceremony while in a trance.
Having Hijra sing and dance at a wedding or other event is supposed to be good luck.
-Jeff |
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Hollywoodaction
Joined: 02 Jul 2004
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