A. Nabeesa Ummal, former MLA and Professor, passes away at 91

An orator and scholar, she was retired as Principal of University College, Thiruvananthapuram, and was also a former chairperson of the Nedumangad municipality.

A. Nabeesa Ummal, a former MLA of Kazhakuttam and retired Professor, passed away at Nedumangad on Saturday. She was 91.

After a long career as a professor of Malayalam, Prof. Nabeesa Ummal retired as Principal of University College, Thiruvananthapuram, in March, 1986.

She is also a former chairperson of the Nedumangad municipality.

Highly respected by her students, Prof. Nabeesa Ummal was the first scholar of Malayalam after A.R. Rajaraja Varma to head her department and become Principal of University College, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said in a condolence message. Prof. Ummal was an able orator and legislator. As a student, she had garnered attention as the first Muslim girl to secure a postgraduate degree in Malayalam, Mr. Vijayan said.

Prof. Nabeesa Ummal was born on June 30, 1931 to M. Khader Moideen and Asanummal.

Contesting as a CPI(M)-backed Independent in the 1987 Assembly elections, Prof. Nabeesa Ummal defeated Navaikulam Rasheed of the Indian Union Muslim League by a margin of 13,108 votes. In 1991, she was fielded again from Kazhakuttam but lost to CMP founder M.V. Raghavan by a margin of 689 votes.

Her husband, Husain Kunju, a daughter and a son predeceased her. She leaves behind two daughters, Laila and Thara, and two sons, Rahim and Salim.

Prof. Nabeesa Ummal, who was a member of the eighth Kerala Assembly, has left her imprint on the cultural and political arena as a teacher and orator, Speaker A.N. Shamseer said in a condolence message.