Soudamini Pethe, was the first deaf lawyer to enrol with the Bar Council of Delhi, recently passed the All-India Bar Examination (AIBE).
But unfortunately, Pethe didn’t live long enough to celebrate this achievement. She died on April 22, 2023, from a sudden bout of shortness of breath.
She was recognized for her activism on issues affecting the deaf community. Her vision as a lawyer was to bridge the gap between the deaf and those who can hear due to a lack of equal access to resources and surroundings.
Advocate-on-Record Sanchita Ain, who worked with Pethe, remembered her friend fondly. She recalled an anecdote, saying,“I offered her to come to the Supreme Court with me and argue my matter with the help of an interpreter. Unfortunately, the matter didn’t get listed that day. I then told her to be there for the National Association of Deaf matter in the Delhi High Court. She was very happy and looking forward to her first physical court appearance to such an extent that she came with a fractured foot! How many times do you see such passion in an associate? They have events to attend, clothes to buy before they can formally join. She just came with a fractured foot from Faridabad on such a short notice! We went to quite a few courtrooms with an interpreter and a wheelchair checking the accessibility requirements at multiple levels.
AoR Ain continue,
“She faced many barriers to reach where she was, all with a smile on her face, courage and passion in her heart, and even before she could enjoy being there, her life was snatched from her. I felt completely lost. She was my bridge to the deaf community. She was the one who lit my path to bridge the gap. When I would rant, she would make a gesture with both her hands and face suggesting, ‘let it be’. She never lost that smile on her face even while making the gesture. And when she would ask me questions, I would close my eyes, nod and say, ‘it will happen’. It will definitely happen. And it would happen sooner than ever. Before anyone else from the community leaves the world… that’s the promise I have made to myself.”
