BJP’s political move to own Chettur Sankaran Nair's legacy; Suresh Gopi visits family in Palakkad

Palakkad: After national leaders like Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri, the BJP is now embracing Chettur Sankaran Nair, the only Malayali to have served as Congress president in its history.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently remembered Chettur Sankaran Nair during an event in Haryana. Following this, Union Minister Suresh Gopi visited the relatives of Chettur in Palakkad and Ottapalam on Saturday. The visit gains relevance as Nair’s death anniversary is approaching on the 24th of this month. Although there was a plan to visit Nair’s memorial in Mankara, the trip was dropped due to the lack of a proper access road.

It was during the foundation stone-laying ceremony for a thermal power plant in Haryana that the Prime Minister recalled Chettur Sankaran Nair as a voice against the British during the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. The Prime Minister also urged that people should learn more about the contributions of this Malayali leader.

Suresh Gopi visited the house of Chettur in Chandranagar, Palakkad, and later visited the Palattu house in Ottapalam as well. Only a few party leaders had been informed of the visit in advance. During discussions with the leaders, it became clear that plans for a memorial for Nair are under consideration.

Suresh Gopi arrived in Palakkad on Saturday morning and reached the residence of Justice Chettur Sankaran Nair in Chandranagar before noon. He was accompanied by BJP state general secretary C. Krishnakumar, East district president Prashant Sivan, and Shanku T. Das. After spending nearly three-quarters of an hour there, he proceeded to the Palattu house in Ottapalam later in the evening.

There, he held a friendly conversation with Nair’s granddaughter Malathi, her daughter Janaki, and other family members. He had also brought sweets for them. After meeting all the family members and viewing photographs of Chettur Sankaran Nair and his relatives, he departed.

Although Nair remains the only Malayali to have served as Congress president, no effort has been made so far to preserve his memory politically. Apart from a floral tribute led by local leaders on his death anniversary, no other commemorative events are usually held. While there are educational institutions named after him in Ottapalam and Mankara, the fact remains that this Malayali who played a role on the national stage has not yet received the recognition he deserves. It was only a week ago that a Bollywood film titled Kesari-2, which narrates the life story of Chettur Sankaran Nair, was released.