Padma Lakshmi becomes first transgender lawyer in Kerala
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Kochi: Lawyer Padma Lakshmi has become the first transgender to enroll with the Bar Council of the state. She was one of the 1,500 law graduates who received the Bar enrolment certificate on Sunday.
She graduated from Ernakulam Government Law College.
Industries minister P Rajeev shared the photograph of the young lawyer on his Instagram page and wrote in Malayalam: "Congratulations to Padma Lakshmi who overcame all the hurdles of life and enrolled as the first transgender advocate in Kerala. Becoming the first is always the hardest achievement in history. There are no predecessors on the way to the goal. Obstacles will be inevitable. There will be people to mute and discourage. Padma Lakshmi has written her name in the legal history by overcoming all this."
He also wished that Padma Lakshmi's life will inspire more people from the transgender community to enter advocacy. Many users commented on the post congratulating her.
It is rare for people from the transgender community to become part of the judicial system. In 2017, India got its first transgender judge Joyita Mondal. She was appointed to the Lok Adalat of Islampur in West Bengal. In 2018, transgender activist Vidya Kamble was appointed a member judge in a Lok Adalat in Nagpur in Maharashtra. In the same year, Swati Bidhan Baruah from Guwahati became the third transgender judge in the country.