Thrissur: July 10 marks the 50th death anniversary of former Mathrubhumi editor and Rajya Sabha member P Narayanan Nair.

Born in Perathu Tharavad, Killimangalam in 1908, Narayanan Nair initially pursued a career in teaching after completing his studies. However, driven by a passion for journalism, he eventually moved to Chennai. It was during his tenure at the Justice newspaper that he was called to join Mathrubhumi in 1932. He led the newspaper after KP Kesava Menon relinquished the post.

On January 13, 1934, when Mahatma Gandhi visited the Mathrubhumi office in Kozhikode, the responsibility of welcoming Ganghiji was entrusted to Narayan Nair, who at that time served as the editor of both the Mathrubhumi newspaper and weekly.

While working at Mathrubhumi, Narayanan Nair decided to shift his focus to full-time political activism, becoming an integral part of the socialist group within the Congress. He was elected KPCC secretary when Mohammed Abdur Rahiman was state president. Later, Narayanan Nair became one of the founding members of the Communist Party of India. 

From 1956 to 1962, he served as a member of the Rajya Sabha from Madras. After the Communist Party split, Narayanan Nair remained committed to the CPI. He became a member of the Central Control Commission of the CPI.

Narayanan Nair played a pivotal role in Mathrubhumi's growth and development, leading it into the modern era. Notably, his son, K. Prabhakaran, retired as Deputy Editor of Mathrubhumi.