Kerala's Gets Its 1st Transgender Lawyer, Minister Praises Efforts

P. Rajeev praised the young lawyer's efforts to create a path for herself in the face of a society that is not always kind or encouraging.

Image Credits: Instagram

New Delhi: Padma Lakshmi became Kerala's first transgender lawyer, registered as an advocate with the State Bar Council. The state's industries minister P. Rajeev congratulated her with a photo of the lawyer on his official Instagram. According to the minister's post, Padma Lakshmi was among the more than 1,500 law graduates who received their Bar enrolment certificates at an event hosted by the Bar Council of India on Sunday. Padma Lakshmi received her law degree from Ernakulam Government Law College.

P. Rajeev praised the young lawyer's efforts in forging a path for herself, despite having to deal with a society that isn't always the most encouraging.

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"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 legal history by overcoming all this. Padmalakshmi's paths have convinced them on which side to stand in the fight for justice.

That is why Padmalakshmi's words are so sharp that in the journey ahead, the aim is to become the voice of the denied justice with the power of law. May Padmalakshmi’s life inspire more people from the transgender sector to enter advocacy. Adv. Once again congratulations to Padmalakshmi and the 1528 advocates enrolled yesterday,” P. Rajeev said in his post.

Padma Lakshmi's achievement follows in the footsteps of Joyita Mondal, India's first transgender judge. In 2017, she was appointed to the Lok Adalat of Islampur in West Bengal.

Vidya Kamble, a transgender activist, was appointed as a member judge in a Lok Adalat in Nagpur, Maharashtra, in early 2018. Later that year, Swati Bidhan Baruah of Guwahati became the country's third transgender judge. Users were impressed by the heartfelt post, and several of them responded with red heart emoji.