Introduction

The introduction traces the history and politics of the janana body. The history of jananas is complicated by their relative absence from public spheres. The chapter examines ethnography as a method and discusses the consequences of my presence in the community. Finally, the chapter shows how jananas provide a unique look into the relationships between gender, sexuality, and language use in contemporary India and how my positionality in the community influences my perception and janana presentations of these. This chapter explains why language, hijras, violence, and legal dialogues are critical spaces where janana identity is contested and materialized. It argues that jananas should be understood as products of dialogue between these categories.