Kerala’s first transgender radio jockey and the first from the community to contest assembly election in the state has been found dead.
Anannyah Kumari Alex, the first transgender radio jockey and the first from the community to contest the state assembly polls was found dead in her Kochi flat on Tuesday evening. According to the Kalamassery Police, Anannyah was hanging inside the bedroom in the apartment
She said she could not stand for a prolonged period after the surgery for more than a year and was unable to work due to the same. She also claimed that surgical errors led to health complications.
According to the police, her death appears to be because of her physical distress. Police are probing the matter.
Anannyah’s friends have lodged a complaint with the Chief Minister seeking an inquiry into the death.
Anannyah Kumari Alex — a native of Kollam Peruman, was the first person from the transgender community in Kerala to contest in the Assembly elections. However, she later withdrew her nomination alleging mental torture and death threats from Democratic Social Justice Party (DSJP) leaders.
She was nominated from the Vengara constituency in the Malappuram district of Kerala against senior leader PK Kunhalikutty of the Indian Union Muslim League representing the United Democratic Front (UDF) and Communist Party of India (Marxist) candidate P Jiji representing the Left Democratic Front (LDF).
“The DSJP leaders forced me to speak poorly of UDF candidate PK Kunhalikutty and to criticize the LDF government,” Alex said. “I was also forced by the party leaders to observe pardah during the election campaign. The harassment came after I said that I would not do anything which would surrender my personality,” she stated.
Anannyah Kumari Alex is Kerala’s first transgender radio jockey. She is also a professional makeup artist and a news anchor employed at a private channel.
