On October 6, 1989, M Fathima Beevi, a quiet woman from a village in Pathanamthitta, Kerala, created history when she became the first woman from Asia to become a Supreme Court judge.
posters of neetipathayile dheera vanitha A documentary in Malayalam on Justice Fathima Beevi directed by Priya Raveendran. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
a documentary neetipathayile dheera vanitha (A Brave Woman on the Path of Justice) was displayed in Thiruvananthapuram on March 8, 2023 to pay tribute to Justice Fathima Beevi, who also served as the Governor of Tamil Nadu from 1997 to 2001. Devi, a 30-minute documentary produced by the Kerala State Film Development Corporation, directed by Priya Ravindran and written by R Parvathy, highlights Fathima Beevi’s journey to the Supreme Court.
In September 1921, social activist Parvati met him at a function to honor Fatima Biwi. As the jurist was unable to travel to Thiruvananthapuram to attend the ceremony, Parvathy and Malayalam Mission Director Suja Susan George traveled to Pathanamthitta to present the award. That’s when he realized how much this trailblazer had faded into the past and decided to make a documentary on him.
However, Priya believes that the documentary should have been made at least five years earlier when many of Fathima Beevi’s contemporaries were still there. Eminent jurists like Justice KK Usha and Justice Fathima Rehman, who were also friends of Fathima Biwi, had passed away. At present, there are only one or two people like Justice KT Thomas who were with Fathima Beevi in the judiciary. “At present, 95-year-old Fathima Biwi’s memory plays tricks on her and she finds it difficult to move around. Many of those who worked with him or studied with him have passed away. So, we had to rely on documentation about her as a model student and judge,” says Priya.
Priya Raveendran (left) with Rajshree Warrier. , Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Instead of the usual narrative of people talking about him or a fictional narrative with quotes from the protagonist himself, Priya decided to document the pioneer’s life. Danuse Rajshree Warrior’s thought-provoking narration brings to life the journey of a woman who carved her way into the judiciary.
Born on April 30, 1927 in Pathanamthitta town of erstwhile Travancore, Fathima Bibi was the eldest of eight children of Annavittil Meera Sahib and Khadija Bibi.
Priya says that, unlike most conservative men in the community, Meera Sahib, who worked as a sub-registrar officer, was keen to educate all her children. Thus, his eldest daughter moved to Thiruvananthapuram for her higher studies. “At a time when most women were not allowed to leave their homes, there was a woman from an orthodox community who lived in Sree Narayana Vidyarthini Sadanam, a hostel at Wanross Junction in Thiruvananthapuram,” explains Priya.
A photo of Justice Fathima Beevi neetipathayile dheera vanitha, a documentary directed by Priya Raveendran. , Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Fathima did her graduation in Chemistry from University College and aspired to do her Masters in Chemistry. But her father, perhaps inspired by Anna Chandy, the first woman judicial officer of Travancore, encouraged her to study law.
In 1950, she became the first woman to top the Bar Council of India examination. After enrolling as an advocate in Kollam, she became the center of all eyes, as the only woman practicing law there when women lawyers were rare. Although cases were hard to come by, he tried to pursue a career as a lawyer for eight years.
She then took the exam for Munsiff and was appointed as one of the Kerala Subordinate Judicial Services in 1958. Priya says that unlike many men who worked with senior lawyers in the high court in the state, she rose through the ranks to get appointed. As a judge in the Kerala High Court in 1983.
Fatima decides not to marry. As a professional jurist, he upheld the dignity of the judiciary in every sense. As a result, he kept distance from his family and friends. Nobody really knew him well. She was very close to her youngest sister, who passed away a few years back,” says Priya.
After his retirement in 1992, he was appointed as the Governor of Tamil Nadu in 1997. It proved to be a tumultuous time for the jurist, who had kept away from the limelight during all his years in the judiciary. In 2001, she resigned from her post and returned to Kerala.
Currently, the non-politician lives in Pathanamthiha, next to her brother’s house; A nephew lives with her, says Priya, who had gone to Fatima Biwi’s residence to take some shots of her.
“Throughout his life, he commanded respect but he always kept a distance from most people. She was close to a select few. Thus the documentary is more of a record than a close-up chat with a leading lady,” explains Priya.
In October 2022, while speaking at the ninth convocation of the National Law University Delhi, Justice Chandrachud paid tribute to Fathima Beevi. a report in Hindu Quoting Justice Chandrachud: “Being a Muslim woman, when she started practicing law in the male-dominated court complex, she stood out in many ways…by her grit, determination and hard work , she rose through the ranks to become the first woman judge to be appointed to the Supreme Court of India… Justice M Fathima Beevi was a pioneer in her own right who opened a closed door for women in the judiciary.