Visakhapatnam: Fired for changing sex, sailor fights on

Visakhapatnam: Stating that she was neither a terrorist nor had committed any crime, sailor Sabi Giri, earlier known as Manish Giri, said that the Navy was wrong to have sacked her for undergoing a sex change surgery and she was ready to even move the Supreme Court for justice.

“I will even move the Supreme Court to get justice. There are also rumours spreading that I was married and have a son, which is totally false and baseless. The decision of the Navy is very insensitive,” Ms Giri said. 

On Monday, the Indian Navy issued a media release stating that it has discharged Manish Giri, a naval sailor, evoking the clause of ‘service no longer required’ under Navy Regulations. 

“According to World Health Organisation and Indian Psychiatric Association, it’s all fine, perfect and scientific if the gender identity and sexual orientation of an individual do not match,” Ms Giri said. 

She said that she derives the strength to take on the odds from her mother. 

Changing sex is perfectly normal as per science and other norms and I am as fit to serve in the Navy as ever,” Ms Giri said. 

“My feelings used to be like a girl from my childhood, more female-oriented than male. So there was the difference in my gender identity and sexual orientation. I had been suppressing that feeling but it became more intense after one year of joining the Navy. I started feeling very uneasy with it and the complexities grew,” Ms Giri said.

Her Facebook profile status reads: “I am a trans-girl. Always try to understand and respect the feeling of each & every human being”. 

Ms Giri said that she had approached the Navy doctors discussing the complexities she was facing, but no one helped her. Finding no other option, she mustered courage and went for the sex alignment surgery at a hospital in Mumbai in 2016. 

In its statement, the Navy said; “The serving sailor who underwent sex reassignment surgery at a private facility whilst on leave was administratively discharged from service. The individual chose to undergo irreversible gender re-assignment on his own accord, whilst on leave wilfully altering his gender status from the one he was recruited for at the time of his induction. He has therefore breached the Recruitment Regulations and eligibility criteria for his employment as a Sailor in the Indian Navy. The existing service rules and regulations do not permit the sailor’s continued employment owing to his altered gender status, medical condition and resultant employability restrictions.”