Victoria Gowri's Record As An Able Advocate And Conscientious Citizen Shows Why 'Communalism' Charges Against Her Are Completely And Utterly Baseless

The Union government has notified the appointment of 13 judges for several high courts including Advocate L Victoria Gowri as Additional Judge of the Madras High Court.

Since the day Gowri’s name was recommended for the appointment, there has been an outcry in some quarters.

First the screaming headlines — ‘Collegium: Why Are Madras Bar Members Opposing Bid To Promote BJP-Linked Lawyer?"; "Disturbing: Madras HC Lawyers Ask Collegium to Reconsider Victoria Gowri's Elevation."

Who is Victoria Gowri and why has controversy erupted over her appointment?

In January 2023, the collegium recommended Lekshmana Chandra Victoria Gowri as a judge of the Madras High Court. And all hell broke loose.

It was alleged repeatedly that she had made ‘hate speeches’.

In reality, the so-called hate speeches are in the context of organised and institutionalised religious conversions. They have been the cause for the widespread communal violence in Kanyakumari district since 1982, from where she hails.

The Venugopal Commission set up by the Tamil Nadu government made a thorough enquiry into the communal riots and recommended a ban on forcible conversions.

It is no secret that marriages and romantic love between inter-religious couples have been used by certain forces in institutionalised religions like Christianity and Islam for the purpose of proselytising. Often these marital allurements and psychological pressures have been camouflaged as choice of the individual.

None other than Pope Francis has stated that Christianity and Islam are conquering religions — meaning they wage war against the religious other. That marriage and love have become part of the arsenal of religious conversion should make the secularists worry.

It was the expression of such a secular worry that made Victoria Gowri make the statements attributed to her. Anyone who cares about theo-diversity, which is the bedrock on which India’s unique secularism has been built, would actually agree with what Gowri stated.

Opposing unlawful conversions or conversions carried out via deceit is not synonymous with hatred for any community. None other than Mahatma Gandhi himself had strongly criticised such conversions, even going to the extent of using the term "rice Christians".

The statements in question belong to Gowri's past. Even her political connection with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has ceased now for years. She has been working as Assistant Solicitor General of India, Madras High Court-Madurai Bench.

Even so, her past activities cover a variety of fields and show clearly if she harboured antipathy or animosity towards any particular community or section of the society.

She concentrated on the education and hygiene betterment of the Kani women. Through MM she conducted more than 500 women empowerment camps across the district in association with the mobile counselling units of the various all women police stations.

Her instinct and involvement in serving the tribal community does not seem to know any ideological barriers.

In 2017, the Ockhi cyclone hit Kanyakumari. The Kani people were among one of the severely affected communities losing most of their habitation. To this day, the Adivasi People's Movement remember her active involvement in facilitating and securing financial assistance to them through various industrialists.

She is also remembered for organising donation drives along with the trustees of the Adivasi People's Movement for the rebuilding of the houses of the distressed.

As is well known for the ideological background she comes from, the term ‘Vanvasi’ is preferred over ‘Adivasi’. That she was able to overcome such ideological biases and put the welfare of the community above ideologies and institutions is actually a proof that she is a worthy choice as a judge.

What is even more damning for the petition signing eminences against her is the fact that the minorities and even minority institutions in the region where she lives, have much faith in her and respect for her.

Consider this: she had handled several cases of various minority organisations. Prominent among them is the case of St Francis De Paul Matriculation school of Roman Catholic Diocese Tirunelveli before the Madurai bench in their fight for their right to upgrade their middle school to then higher secondary school.

If she is a person of 'hatred' towards Christians as alleged, would a Christian organisation come to her to handle their internal disputes?

She has dealt with the election dispute cases of Indian Evangelical Lutheran Church before High court. In fact, at least half of her clients, when she practised law, were Christians, especially women from poor economic backgrounds.

Two years before the present government came to power, for the year 2012-2013, the St Francis Engineering College, (Tirunelveli district of Roman Catholic Diocese) awarded her with the best lawyer award in the districts of Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi.

Thus her track record with respect to communal harmony is quite outstanding and the allegations of hate speech fall flat. She has shown through her professional and public service records the ability to go beyond caste and creed and more importantly, her ideology. She has consistently shown placing humanistic values over ideological boundaries.

Perhaps it is this important facet that even while opposing unethical organised conversions, she has won the confidence of not just the people but even the institutions of religious minorities.