Tuticorin: In an inspiring story, a widow in Tamil Nadu Tuticorin, has donned a man's avatar after the death of her husband to support her daughter. One Mudivaithanenthal Siva Pillai was married to Sorkalingapuram Pechiyammal when she was 20 years old. The conjugal life didn't last more than 15 days as her husband passed away after which Pechiyammal moved to Kaddunayagan Patti near Eppothum Vendran to settle down.
There she used to do menial jobs to earn a living. She also faced minor sexual abuse. However, braving all odds, in order to make for the absence of a father to her daughter, Pechiyammal transformed herself into a male, and rechristened her name to Muthu (Tamil male name). Due to poverty, Pechiyammal moved from one place to another to eke out a living and she is known as 'Annachi'(respected word for an elder brother) in the area.
Pechiyammal, 57, has now moved back to Tuticorin where she dresses up as a man with a cropped haircut and a men's shirt. She has been living as a father and mother to her daughter for the last 30 years and has worked at tea shops and snack stalls. Pechiyammal says she has been working as a labourer to save for her daughter's wedding. "My married life ended in 15 days but I have changed my appearance for my daughter and for my self-respect. I have never worried or regretted about this life," she said.
Pechiyammal says she didn't get the death certificate of her husband and does not receive a widow pension or senior citizen pension. "If I get these funds it will be a great help for me," said Pechiyammal. Over the inspiration for the decision, she said, 'When I was a child my father passed away so my mother played the role of my father. I don't regret this change." However, Pechiyammal's daughter Sanmuga Sunthari(36) sought a government pension for her mother.
