NCTP takes cognisance of article on Santhi Soundarajan

She filed plaint against Tamil magazine and athletics coach Rajan Abraham

Gopi Shankar Madurai, the South Regional Representative of the National Council for Transgender Persons (NCTP), a statutory authority under the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, has taken suo motu cognisance of a “discriminatory and inter-phobic” Tamil magazine article against Santhi Soundarajan, a recipient of several medals at various international sporting events, who is currently serving as a coach in the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDATN).

The NCTP sought an on-record complaint from Santhi Soundarajan. She emailed the complaint against the Tamil magazine and athletics coach Rajan Abraham who, she alleged, had repeatedly harassed her on the basis of her gender identity and caste.

The athlete, who belongs to a Scheduled Caste community and is a native of Pudukottai district, sent the complaint on Tuesday to the NCTP, which attends to the grievances of inter-sex and gender non-conforming persons and takes suo motu cognisance of their grievances.