CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin expressed condolences on the demise of the former governor and the first woman judge of the Supreme Court Fathima Beevi on Thursday. Fathima Beevi was the Governor of Tamil Nadu from 1997 to 2001.
Justice Fathima Beevi, 96, passed away in Kerala's Kollam district earlier today at a private hospital.
She also served as the first chairperson of the Commission for Backward Classes and a member of the first Central Human Rights Commission. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan also expressed condolences on the death of Justice Fathima Beevi. "Fathima Beevi's life was an unforgettable symbol in the history of women's advancement in the state.
Pursuing her higher education in an era when even primary education was difficult for girls, she graced prestigious positions in the judiciary, from Munsiff to the first woman judge of the Supreme Court. Kerala got its first woman judge in the Supreme Court through Justice Fatima Beevi.
Justice Fathima Beevi is the first Muslim woman to rise to high positions in the judiciary," CM Vijayan said. Fathima Beevi was honoured with the Kerala Prabha Award, the second-highest honour given by the Government of Kerala in 2023.