Ottapalam celebrates as astronaut Anil Menon takes historic family legacy to space

The residents of Ottapalam share a proud list of names—individuals whose legacies offer inspiration no matter where in the world they travel. This historic roll includes Sir Chettur Sankaran Nair, the first Indian Advocate-General in British India, K P S Menon, independent India’s first Foreign Secretary and V P Menon, who worked alongside Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel to integrate the princely states into the Indian Union. Now, a magnificent new name joins this illustrious list – Dr Anil Menon.

As the Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft ventures into space, the people of Ottapalam will be able to say with immense pride, “Look up, one of our own is up there in space.” The entire locality is eagerly waiting to witness these historic moments that bring immense glory to their homeland.

Dr Anil Menon is the great-great-grandson of Sir Chettur Sankaran Nair. The ancestral lineage connects through Sankaran Nair’s third daughter, Kizhakepat Palat Madhavi Amma. Madhavi Amma and Madhavan Arathil Candeth (M A Candeth) had a second daughter, Kalyanikutty Amma. Anil Menon’s father, Kizhakepat Palat Sankaran Menon, is the son of Mangat Gopal Menon and Kalyanikutty Amma. Furthermore, Lieutenant General K P Candeth, who played a decisive role in the liberation of Goa, is the brother of Anil Menon's paternal grandmother Kalyanikutty Amma.

The legacy of Chettur Sankaran Nair

In 1915, Chettur Sankaran Nair became a member of the Viceroy’s Executive Council, making him only the third Indian to achieve this distinction. In 1919, he resolutely relinquished his high office and titles in protest against the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. He challenged the British authorities on numerous occasions.

Born on July 11, 1857 in Mankara of Palakkad, Sankaran Nair earned his degree in Madras (now Chennai) before joining the Law College. By 1898, he was a member of the Madras Legislative Council. Notably, he was the first person to introduce a private bill in the Legislative Council. In 1897, at the Amravati session, he became the President of the Indian National Congress—remaining the only Malayali to have ever held the presidency of the organisation.

In his writings, K P S Menon noted that when Chettur Sankaran Nair returned to Madras in 1919 after resigning from the Viceroy's Council, he was welcomed by the public with roaring cheers and celebrations. Mankara is also his final resting place.

‘Joy and pride’

"When I went to work in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, people asked for my name. Hearing 'Chettur' in my name, they asked if I was related to Sankaran Nair. When I explained the connection, I was treated with immense respect. Knowing that a member of the same Chettur family is now part of a space mission fills me with immense joy and pride," says

Chettur Krishnakumar, a retired Reserve Bank of India official.

‘An outstanding achievement’

"It is a matter of great pride that the Chettur legacy continues to flourish six generations later. This is a family that includes many illustrious personalities. Anil Menon's accomplishment is monumental, and we are incredibly proud of it," says P T Narendra Menon, chairman, CSN Trust, Ottapalam.