Denied job by Air India, trans-woman knocks on Tamil Nadu CM Edappadi Palaniswami’s door

CHENNAI: A transwoman from Tamil Nadu on Tuesday submitted a strongly-worded letter to the Chief Minister’s cell, urging the Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami to pressure the Centre to bring in policies that guarantee food, shelter, employment and most importantly, fundamental rights to transgenders.

Shanavi Ponnusamy, a transwoman hailing from Tiruchendur, was allegedly denied a job as crew member in Air India though she cleared the exam.  

In November 2017, she moved the Supreme Court accusing the airline of gender discrimination under Article 32. The Supreme Court had issued notices to Air India and the Ministry of Civil Aviation on the matter.

After writing a letter to the President last week, on Tuesday, she sought to meet the Chief Minister and speak to him about rights of transgenders. “I want the Chief Minister to speak to the Centre about trans rights. Tamil Nadu pioneers relatively in ensuring a safe life and affordable health care for trans-community. It’s high time, the State took this forward to the Centre and made sure we stand as an example to the country,” she said on Tuesday, addressing reporters after submitting her letter to the Chief Minister’s cell.

Ponnusamy had worked with Sutherland and Air India Customer Support before she underwent a sex change surgery. She said she had applied for a job at the airline four times over two years. While she got a call letter for the post of female cabin crew, she was never offered the job. “They did not have a category for transwomen. So they refused me the job,” she told Express.

Ponnusamy who used to make ends meet with her modelling career earlier, alleged that her opportunities had dwindled after her Supreme Court case made news. “I am not in a position  to pay for my daily food expenses,” she wrote. “So it is not at all possible to manage the SC case by paying advocates,” she said in the letter.