Salva Mubarak Senior Features Writer

Remember the name people, newly minted advocate Padma Lakshmi has added her name to the annals of history by becoming Kerala’s first transgender lawyer.

Lakshmi was enrolled as a lawyer at a ceremony organised by the Bar Council of Kerala on Sunday. She was the first one to get her degree amongst 1500 other law graduates.

Her journey, however, was not without hurdles. The lawyer had to work as an insurance agent to support her medical bills and the cost of heavy-duty textbooks while studying at the Ernakulam Government Law College.

In an interview with PTI, the lawyer spoke about what keeps her going, “I ignore all forms of negativity, be it people or their comments. I focus on the positive. I believe that is one of my advantages. If I focus on the negativity, I will have time only for that and will never move forward in life.”

Lakshmi is filled with optimism and enthusiasm about using her legal acumen to fight for justice for the poor and the marginalised. “Taking up cases where there has been a violation of fundamental rights and fighting to ensure justice for the marginalised, that is my plan and that is my desire right now,” she said.

Industries and Law Minister P. Rajeev took to Instagram to highlight this important achievement and lauded her for making a mark in the history of the legal profession in the country, while the Minister of Higher Education R. Bindu called it a “matter of immense pride”.

Back in 2018, Satyashri Sharmila from Tamil Nadu became the first transgender lawyer in the country. Here’s hoping that the successes of people like Sharmila and Lakshmi, and their many predecessors across different fields, motivate and empower others in the community to follow their footsteps.