CHENNAI: While the classroom of a Chennai school in 2008 was filled with the chatter and guffaws of students, in one corner of the room sat a teenager sorely desolated. She chose to remain outside the bustles. Rather than sharing laughter with friends, she had mostly been laughed at by them.
M Mahesha Riti could not avoid noticing that people looked at her differently ever since she hit puberty. While the physical changes of her peers were as per the basic theories taught in their biology class, Mahesha’s were unrelated to her sex assigned at birth. Though Mahesha embraced her identity without major hassles, those around her found it a hard row to hoe.
Realising that even her parents are not able to understand the changes, Mahesha sought refuge at grandmother’s home in the same city during her college years. After graduation in English Literature, she was redirected to the field of law by her parents. Today, the 30-year-old, without any second thoughts, says that joining LLB was one of the best decisions of her life.
Mahesha Riti, the kid once ridiculed for her ‘atypical’ bodily changes, holds her head high and says that she is the first trans woman from Tamil Nadu to attain an LLM degree and clear the National Eligibility Test (NET) with a Junior Research Fellowship.
Life, clearly, has not been a bed of roses for Mahesha. During her LLB days in 2014, she underwent a gender affirmation surgery without her family’s knowledge. After the surgery, acceptance at home remained elusive. An undeterred Mahesha continued her academic journey, securing LLM admission at Tirunelveli Government Law College. Despite academic achievements, societal prejudices continued to follow her.
“When I boarded buses to college, the public presumed that I would extort money from them. Realising that the general atmosphere in the district is not very encouraging, I relocated to Coimbatore and joined a college there,” says Mahesha.
A fresh set of experiences awaited the braveheart in the new city. Supported by friends from a transgender community, she pursued her law degree while working as a part-time cook for weddings and other events. “I had to take up that job as my family stopped providing for me after the surgery. Initially unfamiliar with cooking, I slowly mastered the skill. Our mutton biryani is still a famous feast in Coimbatore and the fact that trans people are behind the preparation adds to the fame,” she gushes.
Meanwhile, she completed LLM from Coimbatore Law College in 2018 and embarked on a year of practice at the district court. “I chose to be an independent practitioner and is one of the three transgender lawyers practising in the Coimbatore court,” she adds.
During the same period, Mahesha also started engaging in social work with the Nehru Civic Charitable Trust. She served as the director of the trust and taught tailoring skills to trans people. She was also active in raising awareness about HIV-AIDS. In 2022, Mahesha received the Difference Maker Award from Telangana Governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan. In 2023, she shifted gears in her career and became an assistant professor at a private law college, specialising in business law.
“My love for teaching made me take up the job and it has been another great life decision. Students have only shown respect and enthusiasm during my classes,” she says in pride.
However, this is only the beginning for Mahesha. By cracking JRF, Mahesha is all set to pursue a PhD in law, thereby becoming a teacher in a government college. In addition to this, she hopes to adopt kids and provide them with the best life lessons.
“I suggest transgender individuals give utmost importance to education, the best way to empower the community. If we want to change the societal mindset, we must take the initiative,” urges Mahesha.
(Edited by Anagha R Manoj)
