A transwoman from Kerala seeks mercy killing, instead gets govt job

Aneera Kabeer approached the Legal Services Authority, seeking their help to get an advocate to file her mercy killing petition in the High Court.

Palakkad: Aneera Kabeer, a trans woman and a double post-graduate with M.Ed had approached the Legal Services Authority to file a mercy killing petition in the Kerala High Court. Now, she is getting a permanent government job. She had earlier said that she could not get any job because of her gender identity and after she lost her temporary job, there has been no means to make ends meet.

On Wednesday, Education Minister V Sivankutty called her to Trivandrum and assured her that she would get a permanent appointment at the Education department. The Minister told her that she would be made permanent within one month of her appointment in the Samagra Siksha Kerala project under the department.

Aneera Kabeer said that she had approached the Legal Services Authority, seeking their help to get an advocate to file a mercy killing petition at the High Court. She said her decision to approach the Legal Services Authority was taken out of despair as she found it too difficult to make a living.

She has two post-graduate degrees, M.Ed, and has also passed the State Eligibility Test (SET). Her qualification is enough to be appointed as a higher secondary school teacher.

Due to the social taboo, Aneera dressed up in a man's attire when she attended an interview at a Government Higher Secondary school for a temporary post. She got the job but when the school authorities realized that she is a transwoman, everything started going against her. She lost her job by the first week of January, just two months after she joined.

Aneera says the government should bring in reservations for transwomen who are qualified in government services. She said the Minister had told her that the recommendation would be discussed and a decision would be taken.