Despite Aadhaar and PAN recognising Kerala lovers who underwent sex change surgery as man and woman, registrar seeks time to check whether such a marriage would be valid; trans couple plans to move court
Despite Aadhaar and PAN recognising Kerala lovers who underwent sex change surgery as man and woman, registrar seeks time to check whether such a marriage would be valid; trans couple plans to move court. Nearly three months after mid-day first reported the story of a transgender couple from Kerala having found love in each other after undergoing sex reassignment surgeries, the marriage certificate that could validate their relationship, is eluding them.
Karav Appukuttan and Sukanyeah Krishnan
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Karav Appukuttan, 46, (born Bindu) and Sukanyeah Krishnan, 22, (born Chandu) are waiting to tie the knot since September as the registrar claims he needs time to verify whether their marriage would be legal, once registered.
The couple had first met during their respective gender transformation treatment atKokilabenAmbaniHospitalin Andheri and fallen in love. After their story went viral, the two had also received abusive messages, threatening them with dire consequences, which they claimed could be the reason for their wedding being delayed.
External pressure
Speaking to mid-day, Krishnan said, "As long as I’m a woman and Karav is a man, we have all the rights to get married under the Special Marriage Act."
The couple has argued that their Aadhar, election and PAN cards, which they made post their sex change, identify them based on their new identities. "I don’t see any reason why the registrar should be confused if the government has recognised us by our new identities," she said. "But, there are some activists and a few relatives, who’ve joined hands to oppose our union. Hence, the registrar said he needs time to confirm the validity of such a relationship."
Krishnan said that the registrar had told them that he had written a letter to the higher officials regarding the legal aspects of the marriage. "Due to our financial condition, we can’t even afford a temple wedding. Legal recourse is our only choice. We will wait for another two weeks, if they don’t register our marriage legally, we will move court," Krishnan added.
On a wing and prayer
While the couple has undergone the major gender reassignment surgeries, a few minor ones were still on until last month.
But, according to Krishnan, some organisations in Kerala and the country, have been trying to tarnish their reputation, making it difficult for them to generate funds for the operations. "When we started a fundraiser for our surgeries, many people had launched a campaign against us, arguing that we were utilising the money to become popular," she said.
Due to the negative wave the couple wasn’t able to raise enough money. "We had hoped to raise R6 lakh, but we barely collected Rs 4,400," Krishnan said. Appukuttan later pledged his land in Kerala to get the loan needed for the surgery, while Krishnan got a loan from Tata Capital to complete the pending surgeries. "But, even then, the people did not stop. They contacted the hospital and threatened them against giving us any discounts or concessions," she said.
After news of their love story went viral, Krishnan said she was forced to quit her job in Bengaluru. "The manager of the firm, where I was working, told me that clients had a problem working with a transgender. He also wasn’t able to give me leave for the surgery," Krishnan said.
Krishnan quit her job and decided to freelance as a web developer. "I am working around 10 to 14 hours daily now, to repay our loans," said Krishnan. Appukuttan, she said, is still looking for a job. "But, we will pay all our loans anyhow. We want this to be over soon," Krishnan said.
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