The 18th century British colonists in the Mughal-Muslim Indian subcontinent, were repulsed by the sight of Hijras (transgenders) and baffled over why they were accorded so much respect in royal courts and other spheres of life. After deposing the Mughals, and in discharging the white man’s burden of civilising the inferior races, the British colonists enacted the so-called Criminal Tribes Act, 1871 to declare what they called Eunuchs (transgenders) a criminal tribe on the theory that certain tribes were genetically criminal and must be placed under surveillance. By invoking the power of criminal law the British colonists attacked the dignity of transgender community and eventually forcing them to adopt begging, and prostitution. Transgenders lost their royal status and gradually were excluded from all respectable social circles. In order to survive, some transgenders took to dancing performances at the birth of a new child in the community, collecting Wadhais (tips). Some developed the art of clapping and dancing. Some developed the art of lampooning and were invited to the wedding feasts of the well-to-do to make fun of the groom, the guests, and even the politicians. They played the same role of amusing private gatherings as do late-night TV comedians in the United States. After formal dissolution of the British Empire the Criminal Tribes Act was repealed with respect to transgenders. However, the damage done to transgenders was irreparable. A pejorative word Khusra is in active currency to denigrate the personality of transgenders. Friends might tease a feminine-looking friend as a Khusra. An incompetent politician is called a Khusra. In both modern India and Pakistan, the word Khusra is associated with impotence, incompetence, and powerlessness. In Pakistan, the people have forgotten the spiritual role that the transgenders played in Islam. Transgenders are ridiculed and insulted. Popular TV shows, such as Khabarnaak and Khabardaar, make cruel jokes against transgender community. One of these shows is headed by a lawyer licensed to practice before the high courts of Pakistan.