Sudhaa Chandran being made to take off prosthetic leg during airport security checks is no new, isolated incident

On 22 October, Instagram was abuzz with Sudhaa Chandran’s video talking about how she is always asked to take off her prosthetic leg during the security check at airports. While several people in the comments (justifiably) expressed shock, anger, and sadness, to me it did not come as much of a surprise at all.

I have had a prosthetic leg for the past 11 years of my 29 year-long life, and unfortunately, I’ve been on the receiving end of discriminatory security practices at airports for a long, long time.If it was not enough to go through the trauma of having a life-changing surgery, living through months of immobility, and then getting used to walking with an artificial leg, the world seems to take an inordinate amount of pleasure in making one’s life more difficult than it needs to be. Getting a driver’s license takes over a year (if you are lucky), medical insurance does not cover a rupee of your prosthetic’s cost, the government slaps a 5 percent GST on essential disability aids, and to add the cherry on the cake, airport security all over the world seems hell-bent on humiliating you.When someone says the word 'striptease,' few people would imagine taking off their pants — and then their leg — in a musty airport storeroom while security watches. To add to the sex appeal of the situation, the leg is then passed through the baggage scanner with other people’s purses and laptops while you awkwardly sit on a chair with your pants at your one remaining ankle. When you come out, on the brink of tears (if not full on crying), everyone knows you are "that girl," and you get pointed at. Is this what celebrities feel like?Though there have been cases when security personnel are rude or demanding about me stripping down at the airport, in most cases, they are sympathetic. Sometimes, a little too much.“So how did this happen?” (Do you ask other passengers deep personal questions about their past trauma?)

More from Art And Culture

“But don’t worry ha, it’s not obvious at all, you walk so normally!” (Thanks, then why are you not treating me like you treat other people?)

“You should write your complaint in the feedback book. See, it’s here.” (Along with people who talk about how airport coffee is overpriced. Same thing, really.)