Fathima Thahiliya: The Trailblazer

AT 32, FATHIMA THAHILIYA has done what few thought possible within the deeply patriarchal world of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML): she became the party’s first woman MLA. Her victory from Perambra was historic not merely because she won but be­cause she did so from a 46-year-old fortress of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). In a contest that acquired the sym­bolism of a generational duel, Thahiliya defeated 75-year-old Left Democratic Front convenor TP Ramakrishnan.

A lawyer by training, Thahiliya was among the 27 can­didates fielded by IUML in Kerala, of whom only two were women. Her political identity, however, had begun taking shape earlier. In 2012, she became the founding state presi­dent of Haritha, the women’s wing of the Muslim Students Federation (MSF). She drew media attention after confront­ing sexual harassment by MSF leaders, an act that cost her the post of MSF national vice president.

A feminist by conviction, she does not fit neatly into the familiar liberal grammar of feminism. She had fought a legal battle defending the right of Muslim girl students to wear headscarves while appearing for CBSE examinations.

During the campaign, Thahiliya accused the Left of reduc­ing her to a communal identity. She objected to being alleg­edly described as “Kauminte Kutti” (daughter of the tribe), a phrase that put her Muslim identity in focus. The incident exposed how easily such identities can be weaponised in the heat of electoral combat, even in Kerala.