Pechiyammal began working after giving birth to a daughter, but she was harassed.
Digital Desk: A woman from Tamil Nadu's Thoothukudi district disguised herself as a man for the last 30 years to bring up her daughter alone. Pechiyammal, a 20-year-old girl of Katunayakkanpatti village in Thoothukudi, lost her husband due to a heart attack 15 days after their marriage three decades ago.
Pechiyammal began working after giving birth to a daughter, but she was harassed.
Following that, she decided to disguise herself as a man with a new name Muthu to raise her only daughter without remarrying. She cut her hair and wore a lungi and shirt as if she is a man. Muthu has worked in various places over the past three decades, such as in hotels, tea shops, and parotha shops in Chennai and Thoothukudi. She was referred to as 'Annachi' wherever she worked. Annachi means a traditional name for a male. Muthu earned the title 'Muthu Master' after working in tea shops.
Pechiyammal said, "I worked as a painter, tea master, and parotta maker. I also saved every rupee to provide a secure future for my daughter. After a few days, Muthu became my identity. It was reflected on all her documents. This even includes my Aadhaar, Voter ID, and bank account."
Further, she stated that it was difficult at first, but I decided to undertake the trouble for my daughter's safety in mind. "Disguising as a man keeps me safe when I used to travel for work. I always used to seat on the men's side on the buses and used to pay bus fares eventhough free travelling is allowed for women. I even use the men's toilet."
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