Thiruvananthapuram | The Kerala Assembly on Wednesday paid tributes to CPI(M) MLA Kanathil Jameela, who died in November last year due to a cancer-related illness.

Speaker A N Shamseer recalled the achievements of Jameela, saying she was a strong advocate for safeguarding the rights of women and the marginalised.

He also recalled the various social welfare projects initiated by her in the health and education sectors.

Shamseer said that with the death of Jameela, who represented the Koilandy constituency, the state has lost a person who worked for the welfare of the people.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, echoing the words of the Speaker, recalled how she rose through local self-government institutions and her active involvement in public issues.

"She was part of various initiatives even when she was unwell," he said.

UDF MLA K Babu, speaking on behalf of Leader of Opposition in the state assembly V D Satheesan, said he agrees with what Shamseer and Vijayan said about Jameela.

He said she was an honest, hardworking and sincere legislator who would be dearly missed in the Assembly following her untimely demise.

Similar views were expressed by other ruling and opposition leaders, including ministers Roshy Augustine and K B Ganesh Kumar and Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) national general secretary P K Kunhalikutty, following which the House observed a two-minute silence to pay tribute to her.

Subsequently, the House ended the proceedings for the day.

Before being elected MLA in 2021, she served as president of the Kozhikode District Panchayat and had a long career in public service and party work.

Born in Kuttiyadi, Kozhikode, to T K Ali and T K Mariam, she was married to Abdul Rahman. She is survived by a son and a daughter.