Fatima Beevi (1927–2023) was an Indian judge. She was the first woman Supreme Court judge in India and Asia. Fathima Beevi served as the Governor of Tamil Nadu. He died in 2023 at the age of 96.
Contents
Wiki/Biography
M. Fathima Beevi was born on 30 April 1927 (age 96 at death) in Pathanamthitta, Kingdom of Travancore (now in Kerala, India). His zodiac sign is Taurus. Fathima did her schooling from Town School and then Catholic Higher Secondary School in Pathanamthitta. He received a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from University College Thiruvananthapuram (a part of the University of Kerala). After this, Fathima Biwi enrolled in the Government Law College, Thiruvananthapuram, where she obtained the degree of Bachelor of Laws.
a young fatima wife
Physical Appearance
Height (Approx): 5′ 5″
Hair Color: Black
Eye colour: black
Family
Fatima Biwi was born in a Rother family.
parents and siblings
Fatima’s father’s name is Annaveettil Mir Sahab. His father used to work in government job. His mother’s name is Khadija Beevi. The couple had eight children, six daughters and two sons, of whom Fatimah was the eldest.
A picture of three sisters of Fatima Biwi
Religion
Fatima Beevi followed the religion of Islam.
livelihood
Law
After being the topper in the Bar Council examination that year, Fatima Beevi became a lawyer on 14 November 1950. Fatima was the first woman to receive a gold medal from the Bar Council. She started her career as a lawyer in the lower judiciary in Kerala, becoming a Munsif in the Kerala Subordinate Judicial Services in 1958. In 1974, Fatima became the Chief Judicial Magistrate and was promoted as District and Sessions Judge. In January 1980, she became a judicial member of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal and on 4 August 1983, she was elevated as a judge in the Kerala High Court. Fatima became a permanent judge of the High Court on 14 May 1984 and retired on 29 April 1989. He served as a judge of the Supreme Court from 6 October 1989 until his retirement on 29 April 1992.
Justice Fatima wearing formal clothes
Fathima chaired the Kerala Backward Classes Commission in 1993 and was a member of the National Human Rights Commission in the same year. He then served as the Governor of Tamil Nadu from 25 January 1997. During his tenure, he rejected the mercy petitions of four prisoners convicted in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. As Governor he also served as Chancellor of the University of Madras.
Governor of Tamil Nadu (1997–2001)
Fathima Beevi became the Governor of Tamil Nadu in 1997. A significant moment during his tenure as Governor was when he rejected the mercy requests of four prisoners linked to the Rajiv Gandhi case. Another important event was when he made J Jayalalitha the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu on May 14, 2001. But, this created problems as Jayalalitha could not legally contest elections then. People took it to court and questioned whether Jayalalitha’s appointment was legal. Later the Supreme Court said that Biwi’s decision was not correct, saying that a Chief Minister should be a part of the legislature. Facing controversies and pressure, Fatima Beevi left her post as governor in 2001. Expressing disappointment over the way things were managed following the arrest of former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi and two Union ministers, the Union Cabinet suggested the President to bring them back. , Murasoli Maran and TR Baalu. There were claims that she was too close to the government’s official stance. His departure ended his tenure as Governor of Tamil Nadu and Dr. C. Rangarajan, the then Governor of Andhra Pradesh, stepped in as the temporary Governor of Tamil Nadu.
controversies
jayalalitha controversy
Fathima Beevi faced controversy when she invited Jayalalitha, the then general secretary of the AIADMK, to become the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, even though Jayalalitha did not contest the elections as she was banned because she was convicted in a corruption case. Was. Former Law Minister Arun Jaitley sought Fatima’s resignation. Following the May 2001 elections, Jayalalitha’s party won a simple majority in the Tamil Nadu Assembly. Despite constitutional concerns, Fatima administered the oath of office to Jayalalitha as Chief Minister.
Justice Fatima Beevi (left) with Jayalalitha.
Public interest litigations were filed in the Supreme Court challenging the validity of Jayalalithaa’s appointment. Justifying her decision, Fatima said that the majority party in the assembly has chosen Jayalalitha as its leader. He also said that he took advice from the judges of the Supreme Court and the Chief Justice of India. Following this controversy, due to her failure to provide an independent assessment of the events following the arrest of Karunanidhi and two Union ministers, the Union Cabinet recommended Fathima’s recall, following which she resigned. Dr. C. Rangarajan, the then Governor of Andhra Pradesh, assumed the role of Acting Governor of Tamil Nadu. The Supreme Court also overturned Fatima’s appointment of Jayalalitha as Chief Minister, saying that the Governor cannot act contrary to the Constitution and laws, especially in appointing a non-member as Chief Minister.
Awards and Honors
- Fatima Beevi was awarded Honorary Doctor of Letters (Hon. D.Litt.).
Fatima Beevi receives Honorary Doctor of Letters
- Fatima Beevi was awarded the Mahila Shiromani Award in 1990.
- Fatima won the Bharat Jyoti Award.
- Fatima was honored with the US-India Business Council (USIBC) Lifetime Achievement Award.
- Fathima received the Kerala Prabha Award (the second highest honor given by the Government of Kerala) in 2023.
Death
Fathima Beevi died on 23 November 2023 in Kollam, Kerala, India. He was diagnosed with pneumonia at the Travancore Medicity Hospital, where he was admitted after experiencing pulmonary problems. Fatima was 96 years old at the time of her death. His last rites were performed at the Town Juma Masjid in Pathanamthitta, his birthplace.
Facts/General Knowledge
- Fatima was interested in continuing her studies in science but her father convinced her to study law.
- When Fatima started law school, there were only five girls in her class. Later this number reduced to three.
- In March 2023, director Priya Ravindran made a documentary on the life of Fatima Beevi. The documentary is “Neetipathayile Dheera Vanitha” (A Brave Woman on the Path of Justice).
Poster of the documentary Neetipathayile Dheera Vanitha made on Fatima Biwi
- Left parties in India discussed the possibility of nomination of Fatima as President of India. However, the NDA government proposed the name of Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam who went on to become the President.
- Fatima Beevi was the first Muslim woman in India to be appointed to the higher judiciary (example of higher judiciary: Additional District Judge and Sessions Judge).
Today it is a privilege to be asked to honor the great Justice Fatima Beevi, the first woman judge of the Supreme Court and the first Muslim woman Governor of a state. She is 93 years old and looks healthy. It is very important for our youth to be aware of role models like him! pic.twitter.com/1XKqrOMcbP
– Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) 19 February 2020
- Apart from her roles in law and politics, Fatima Beevi was also involved in social activism and charitable work.
- In an interview, Fatima, while talking about being the first woman judge of the Supreme Court, said, “I opened a closed door.” Later, in 2016, she mentioned that the Indian justice system was patriarchal and she felt that higher There is a need for reservation for women in the judiciary. He also said,
There are now many women both at the bar and on the bench. However, his participation is brief. Their representation is not equal to that of men. There is also a historical reason for this… women entered the field late. It will take time for women to get equal representation in the judiciary. When I went to law college, there were only five girls in my class in the first year. In the second year this number reduced to two or three. Today, in law colleges, we are seeing that a good percentage of students are women.
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn