Transgender woman seeks mercy killing from President after Air India denies job

Shanavi Ponnuswamy claims that she has been denied her basic rights because of her gender.

Image: ANI/ Twitter

New Delhi: A transgender has written to President Ram Nath Kovind seeking mercy killing after being denied a job as a cabin crew member in Air India.

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

Didn't try for another airline because if govt airline says there is no category for you, what can we expect from pvt airlines? Now if I live or die is in hands of Pres: Shanavi, transgender who alleges Air India refused job due to her gender on letter to Pres for mercy-killing pic.twitter.com/QEKuBeAvan — ANI (@ANI) February 14, 2018

In November last year, Shanavi Ponnuswamy had moved the Supreme Court challenging Air India's decision to deny her a job as a cabin crew member. The apex court had issued a notice and sought responses from Air India and the Civil Aviation Ministry in four weeks. In her letter to the President, Ponnuswamy has claimed that neither Air India nor the Ministry of Civil Aviation have responded to the Supreme Court's notice. She writes in the letter that in the absence of a job she cannot make her ends meet and, therefore, is requesting mercy killing. "It is clear that Indian government (is) not ready to respond on my survival issue and employment question (sic). And, I am not in a condition to pay for my daily food expenses. So, it's not at all possible to manage Supreme Court case by paying advocates, etc.," states the letter posted on a Facebook page called 'Trans Rights Now Collective'. In her letter, she claims that she has been denied her basic rights because of her gender. Ponnuswamy writes that she had been employed with Air India as a customer support executive for a year. Later, she underwent a surgery for gender change. Following which she applied four times over a period of two years but while she got a "call letter" for the post of female cabin crew she was never offered the job. She states that after several attempts to contact the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Air India, she was informed that as per the carrier's recruitment policy they do not have a category for 'transwomen'.