What a journey! Sripathy becomes first woman civil judge from tribal community

CHENNAI: Sripathy, a tribal woman from Puliyur village near Javadi Hills in Tiruvannamalai travelled 200 km to appear for the civil judge exam held in Chennai last November.

Since then, Sripathy carried a sense of anxiety within her and was badly waiting for the results to be published. And finally, much to her relief, the results were published recently and Sripathy earned a place in the list, making her the First woman from tribal community to become a civil judge.

Sripathy appeared for the exams just three days after giving birth to her daughter. A picture of Sripathy standing with her baby girl in front of the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission office had gone viral on social media. Sripathy comes from a tribal community with Malayali roots in a village called Thurinjikuppam near the town of Chengam. The village is in reserve forest area. The nearest bus service is 15 km away in Paramanandal village.

Sripathy is the eldest daughter of farmer S. Kaliyappan and K. Mallika. She did her studies in St. Charles Higher Secondary School in Athanavur village along with her siblings. After completeing her schooling, she joined a government college to study law.

Even after her marriage to S.Venkatesan, an ambulance driver, she dedicated enough time for her studies only to purseue her goal to come out from the barriers of discrimination.

“What made me study and become a judge was the ever igniting need within me to help my community with legal aid” Sripathy said.

Tamil nadu CM Stalin heaped praises on Sripathy for her massive victory and especially for bringing pride to the tribal community.