A clean break

Madhya Pradesh is a state where eunuchs, locally known as "Kinnar", have made their mark in the political sphere, with one of them making their debut in the state legislative Assembly in 1998 and another becoming Mayor of Bhopal. There was a hiatus in their political activity for some years but they have surfaced again with an offer to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The current Kinnar spiritual guru Haji Surriaya, who had once planned to stand against former Congress minister Arif Aqueel in the North Bhopal seat during the 2003 elections, is learnt to have offered that his community act as brand ambassadors for Modi's safai abhiyan (cleanliness drive) provided she and her tribe received personal invitations from the prime minister to spread the message of cleanliness.