P. P. Ummer Koya (1 July 1922 – 1 September 2000) was an Indian politician, Gandhian

Gandhism

Gandhism is the collection of inspirations, principles, beliefs and philosophy of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , who was a major political and spiritual leader of India and the Indian Independence Movement....

, freedom fighter

Indian independence movement

The term Indian independence movement encompasses a wide area of political organisations, philosophies, and movements which had the common aim of ending first British East India Company rule, and then British imperial authority, in parts of South Asia...

 and educationist. He was the second Education Minister

Education minister

An education minister is a position in the governments of some countries responsible for dealing with educational matters.-Country-related articles and lists:Minister of Education may refer to:...

 of Government of Kerala

Government of Kerala

The Government of Kerala is a democratically elected body that governs the State of Kerala, India for a period of 5 years. The state government is headed by the Governor of Kerala as the nominal head of state, with a democratically elected Chief Minister as real head of the executive. The state...

 headed by Pattom Thanu Pillai

Pattom A. Thanu Pillai

Pattom A. Thanu Pillai was a participant in the Indian independence movement who later served as the Chief Minister of Kerala from 22 February 1960 to 25 September 1962....

. He also served as the Minister for Public Works in government headed by R. Sankar

R. Sankar

R. Sankar was an Indian politician and the third Chief Minister of Kerala. He was born on April 30, 1909 in Kuzhikkalidavaka village in Kottarakkara.-Education and public life:...

.

Political career

Born in Calicut

Kozhikode

Kozhikode During Classical antiquity and the Middle Ages, Kozhikkode was dubbed the "City of Spices" for its role as the major trading point of eastern spices. Kozhikode was once the capital of an independent kingdom of the same name and later of the erstwhile Malabar District...

, the young Ummer Koya entered public life as an activist of the Indian National Congress

Indian National Congress

The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...

. He played a key role in building up the Congress Party in the Malabar region. He was appointed as the Malabar Youth Congress Convenor in 1952. Two years later, he was elected to the Madras Legislative Council

Madras Legislative Council

Tamil Nadu Legislative Council is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It began its existence as Madras Legislative Council, the first provincial legislature for Madras Presidency. It was initially created as an advisory body in 1861, by the British...

. Ummer Koya contested 1960 elections as an Indian National Congress

Indian National Congress

The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...

 candidate from Manjeri constituency and was elected to the Kerala Legislative Assembly.

Koya held the portfolio of Education from February 1960 to September 1962, in the Ministry headed by Pattom Thanu Pillai

Pattom A. Thanu Pillai

Pattom A. Thanu Pillai was a participant in the Indian independence movement who later served as the Chief Minister of Kerala from 22 February 1960 to 25 September 1962....

. He also handled the Portfolio of Public Works, in the Ministry headed by R. Sankar

R. Sankar

R. Sankar was an Indian politician and the third Chief Minister of Kerala. He was born on April 30, 1909 in Kuzhikkalidavaka village in Kottarakkara.-Education and public life:...

 from September 1962 to September 1964. During his political career, he also had served as the Vice President of Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee

Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee

Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee is the unit of the Indian National Congress - the world's largest political organization -working in the state of Kerala. Its head office is situated at Trivandrum ....

 (KPCC). He had also a stint as a member of the Kerala Public Service Commission

Kerala Public Service Commission

The Kerala Public Service Commission is a body created by the Constitution of India to select applicants for civil service jobs in the Indian state of Kerala according to the merits of the applicants and the rules of reservation....

.

Along with K. Kelappan

K. Kelappan

K. Kelappan was born in the small village Muchukunnu in Calicut in Kerala. He studied in Calicut and Madras and graduated from the University of Madras. He began his career as a teacher at in St. Berchmans High School, Changanassery and was the founder President of the Nair Service Society. Later...

, M. P. Manmadhan, and M. K. Kumaran, Koya was actively involved in the campaign for prohibition

Prohibition

Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...

.

P.P. Ummer Koya Award

An award titled P.P. Ummer Koya Award has been instituted by P.P. Ummer Koya Foundation, Kozhikode in honour of him. The prominent winners of the award include, Justice P. K. Shamsudheen (2007), freedom fighter K. E. Mammen (2008), and noted social activist and environmentalist A. Achyuthan (2009).

The Kerala Legislative Assembly paid its homage to him on 21 December 21 2000.