To what lengths will a mother go to keep her daughter safe? The story of ‘Muthu Master’—a resident of Kattunayakkanpatti village in Tamil Nadu’s Thoothukudi district—will give you goosebumps. For nearly forty years, people knew Muthu Master as a simple, hardworking farmer—clad in a white shirt and dhoti, a hoe in hand, and a smoldering beedi on his lips. Yet, hidden beneath this attire was a truth that would move anyone to tears. Muthu Master was not a man at all, but a woman named ‘Pechiyammal,’ who had buried her own identity forever to protect the innocent daughter she had borne.
A World Shattered in Just 15 Days
The story begins nearly four decades ago. Pechiyammal was married to a man named Shiva. Barely had the mehndi (henna) faded from her hands when, just fifteen days into the marriage, her husband died of a heart attack. Her world had collapsed, but amidst the devastation, she discovered she was pregnant. The destitute widow gave birth to a daughter and began working in a coal factory to make ends meet.
The Evening That Turned Pechiyammal into ‘Muthu’
One evening, while on her way to work, a truck driver attempted to assault her. Although she managed to escape, the terrifying incident transformed her fear into rage. She realized that a lone woman and her daughter could never be safe in this society. The very next morning, she went to the Tiruchendur temple. She shaved her head, offered prayers to the deity one last time while wearing a sari, and emerged dressed in men’s clothing. Pechiyammal’s old self had ceased to exist, and ‘Muthu’ was born. Later, while working at a hotel, she earned the name ‘Muthu Master’.
A Puff of Bidi and the Facade of Identity
Living as a man was akin to walking on hot coals for a woman. The monthly pain of menstruation and the need to conceal it during that time posed the greatest challenges. She would take painkillers and toil in the fields day and night to ensure no one grew suspicious. She reached menopause by the age of forty. Whether it was using crowded men’s restrooms or mingling with men, she endured every hardship. She even learned to smoke bidis, which served as a shield. Muthu recounts an incident where a drunk man approached her; she immediately lit a bidi. Addressing her as ‘Brother’, the man asked for a matchbox and moved on.
Even Her Daughter Remained Unaware for Years
Surprisingly, even her own daughter, Shanmugasundari, was unaware of this truth until the age of seven; she believed her aunt was her mother. She began living with her mother at the age of ten but always addressed her as ‘Muthu Master’ in public. Today, her daughter leads a happy life and runs a ration shop. She says, “My mother is made of steel. She taught me to always live with self-respect.”
Muthu is elderly now. People often ask if she misses being a woman. To this, she replies with great solemnity, “If someone had wronged me, would society have granted me justice without blaming me? When one chooses a path, one must pay the price for it.”
The persona she adopted for protection has now become Muthu Master’s true identity. She says she wishes to live out the rest of her life as Muthu, for this identity gave her respect and security. A salute to this mother’s indomitable spirit.
