Kamla Jaan

Kamla Jaan ( – 14 November 2019) was an Indian hijra politician. Jaan was elected mayor of Katni in 2000, becoming the first eunuch mayor in the history of India. In 2002, a judge ruled that Jaan was ineligible to serve as mayor, as the position was reserved for a woman and Jaan was registered as a man. After an appeal, Jaan was removed from office in 2003. Most hijras identify as feminine, though because they are generally born male and later castrated, they are often described as eunuchs. Hijras were traditionally regarded as auspicious and respected for their role in guarding harems. However, in recent times hijras have often been treated with contempt.

Katni typically saw strong support for the Indian National Congress, but at the time there was great dissatisfaction with the mainstream political parties, which were perceived as nepotistic, corrupt, and incompetent. A group of merchants, lawyers, and others sought to draft another candidate to compete with that of the Congress Party in the 2000 mayoral race. Under a quota system, the position of mayor of Katni was reserved for a woman that year. The group discovered that Jaan was listed as female on the voter rolls, whereupon a reporter in the group named Gopal Singhania asked Jaan to run for mayor. Singhania described her as "nothing special"; the group simply sought a hijra candidate due to the reputation of hijras. Jaan assented, provided the group seeking to draft her paid for her campaign expenses. Jaan was ruled ineligible for mayor because she was registered as a male on the electoral rolls, not because she was a hijra. As such, Mausi encouraged hijra candidates seeking to run for seats reserved for women to register as women, to prevent them from being similarly deemed ineligible.

Legacy After Jaan's victory in 2000, five other hijras were elected in Madhya Pradesh within a year, mostly to local posts, such as a city councillor in Jabalpur, but with one, Shabnam Mausi, serving as a state legislator. In December 2000, three hijras were elected in the neighbouring state of Uttar Pradesh, including a mayor of Gorakhpur.