Shanavi Ponnusamy was deeply hurt by Air India denying her right to work – despite clearing all training for ground work at Chennai airport (Picture: ANI /Twitter)
A transgender woman who was denied the opportunity to work for Air India four times has asked the country’s president to allow her a ‘mercy killing’.
Model Shanavi Ponnusamy claims that she was denied a job at Air India on grounds of her non-binary sexuality which has caused controversy in the country.
Model Shanavi Ponnusamy was denied her dream job on grounds of her sexuality (Picture: Twitter)
Transgender people ‘denied right to work’
Ponnusamy, who underwent surgery in 2014 aged 25 , reportedly cleared all tests and passed training for ground duties at Chennai Airport.
But after being denied the right of appeal by India’s Apex Court, she has officially requested the right to take her own life.
Look at my backside and my face! The artificial distance which made by ruling people makes to feel sad and same reflects on my face! pic.twitter.com/Mpw8vUIXbe
— Shanavi ponnusamy (@shanavibewitch) November 6, 2017
Discriminatory and inhumane
The All-India Democratic Women’s Association has condemned the treatment of Ponnusamy and urged the airline to change its stance.
The group describe Ponnusamy’s treatment as ‘discriminatory’ and that she was denied the right to work on ‘inhumane grounds’.
She has become increasingly desperate and says she is ‘proud to die at the hands of the Indian government’.
Life or death ‘in the hands of the President’
Now, Ponnusamy has told ANI news agency that she wrote to President of India, Ram Nath Kovind.
She said that she was finding it increasingly difficult ‘to survive’: ‘Now if I live or die is in hands of President.’
They said we don’t have category for trans-women. But, do I get discount on taxes? I have to pay that, right?I have qualification & experience, is it about my gender?: Shanavi, transgender who alleges Air India refused job due to her gender on her letter to Pres for mercy-killing pic.twitter.com/11WDIIAfy1
— ANI (@ANI) February 14, 2018
Writing in her letter to President Kovind, she asked: ‘They said “we don’t have a category for trans-women.”
‘But, do I get a discount on taxes? I have to pay that, right?’ she continued.
‘For the past two years, four times I got a call letter for the post of a female cabin crew in Air India, but my name was not on the final list.
‘Later, I came to know that Air India reserved seats only for females, where I can’t make the cut off.
‘Then after a long struggle of contacting the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Air India, I got a reply that as per their recruitment policy they don’t have a category for ‘trans-women’,’ the letter said.
GSN have approached both Ms Ponnusamy and Air India for comment.
See also
Police abuse and forced sex pushes trans women into sex work in India
Need support? LGBTI helplines for those in crisis or seeking advice
