Inspiring journey of Harika: From a tailor's daughter to first judge from Telangana's Yellandu tribal area

Girls are on par with boys, if given a chance they will excel in all fields. Harika from the Yellandu tribal area in Telangana proved that nothing is impossible if one works with determination. She realised her father's dream of becoming a judge. Though she hails from a humble background that did not deter her from fulfilling her father's wish.

Yellandu (Telangana):She is a girl from a humble background, but she proved that status is not important to become successful in life. Her journey from being the daughter of a tailor to a judge is an inspiration to many girls, who curse their fate for not achieving their goals. A girl from a tribal area realised her father's dream by becoming a judge. Harika said she drew inspiration from her father as he used to say, "Where there is a will there is a way" and nothing is impossible if one works hard with dedication and determination. She is one of the three daughters of Lakshmaiah and Swaroopa.

Harika's father is the breadwinner of the family and he used to work as a tailor, but he always wanted to see his daughters in good positions. Incidentally, a court that was located next to their house in Yellandu of Bhadradri Kothagudem district in Telangana, attracted him as he used to see the lawyers and judges arriving at the court. Hence, Harika's father wanted to make one of his daughters a judge. Meanwhile, he got a job as a transfer filler worker in the Singareni Collieries in Godavarikhani and worked there for 20 years.

Later, he returned to his hometown after being appointed as a cook in the Yellandu area and he enrolled his children in government schools and encouraged them to study well. According to her father, Harika was brilliant in her studies from childhood. She completed her schooling and intermediate in Godavarikhani and Kothagudem in Telangana. After that, she completed her BA and LLB from Kakatiya University and LLM from Osmania University.

In the history of Yellandu, a tribal area, no one from here has been selected as a judge till date. Harika has achieved this rare feat. With the issuance of Junior Civil Judge (JCJ) notification in 2022, she studied day and night and was selected as a judge from the combined Khammam district in the examination. She fulfilled her father's wish by being selected as the Warangal's Third Additional Junior Civil Judge. "We have to fulfil the dreams of our parents and for that, we should work hard without giving up," Harika signs off.