Latest news with #GandhiandAnarchy
Time of India
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
The Malayalee Club celebrates Chettur Sankaran Nair's 168th birth anniversary
Chennai: The Malayalee Club, Chennai, and Chettur Foundation celebrated 168th birth anniversary of Chettur Sankaran Nair on Friday. The only Malayali and the youngest ever president of the Indian National Congress , one of the Viceroy's council during the British era, judge at Madras high court — Sankaran Nair wore many hats but ironically his name would have been buried in the annals of time if not for a recent movie which centres around his life — Kesari Chapter 2: The Untold Story of Jallianwala Bagh, said N R Panicker, president, The Malayalee Club. Sankaran Nair is most known for his resignation from the coveted ciceroy's council following the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. "There were attempts to hush up news of the massacre, but Nair's exit brought it to the limelight. It was then that the British govt started taking Indian protests seriously," said Panicker. "Incidentally, we came to know that he was the president of The Malayalee Club, Chennai, for 16 years. IT minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan was chief guest on the occasion. He recalled his association with Kerala, mentioning that Sankaran Nair's hometown, Ottappalam in Palakkad district, is home to many a great name. You Can Also Check: Chennai AQI | Weather in Chennai | Bank Holidays in Chennai | Public Holidays in Chennai Sankaran Nair was one of the strongest critics of Mahatma Gandhi, as evidenced in the book he authored, 'Gandhi and Anarchy', but was one of his greatest admirers, pointed out M K Narayanan IPS, former national security advisor to Union govt, in his speech. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo "Sankaran Nair considered Khilafat movement and Moplah rebellion as communal and not anti-colonial, but his opposition was only against the methods, not Gandhi or Congress Party per se. " T K A Nair, IAS (retd) said he would describe Sankaran Nair as a constitutionalist. "He wished to use only constitutional methods for reform and to change policies." Rajasekharan Nair introduced the Chettur foundation, mentioning that Madras Presidency college and Madras Law college where Sankaran Nair studied, should have a chair in his name.
The Hindu
12-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Why C. Sankaran Nair's legacy cannot be compartmentalised
Recruiting historical figures — particularly stalwarts of the Indian National Movement — into contemporary political narratives has become a recurring strategy employed by Indian politicians. After deftly appropriating icons like Sardar Patel, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, the BJP has recently 'discovered' a long-forgotten hero of the freedom struggle: Sir C. Sankaran Nair, the only stalwart from Kerala to have presided over the Indian National Congress. Not to be outdone, the Congress has scrambled to reclaim its former president — a man it had buried in to oblivion for nearly a century. The recent film Kesari Chapter 2: The Untold Story of Jallianwala Bagh, which portrays Sir C. Sankaran Nair as an unsung hero, has now brought him into the limelight. The political appropriation of Sir C. Sankaran Nair's legacy by both the BJP and the Congress is deeply problematic, given his complex historical positioning. The BJP highlights Nair's criticism of Mahatma Gandhi, particularly in his later work Gandhi and Anarchy (1922), where he questioned Gandhi's non-cooperation movement. By portraying Nair as a 'forgotten nationalist' sidelined by the Congress due to his opposition to Gandhi, the BJP reinforces its broader narrative of the Congress 'erasing' leaders who dissented from the Gandhi-Nehru line. However, reducing Nair's legacy to mere anti-Gandhism is a disservice to his multifaceted contributions. On the other hand, the Congress appears clueless in deciphering Nair's colossal personality, having ignored him for decades. The Autobiography of Sir C. Sankaran Nair, published by his daughter Lady Madhavan Nair in 1966, is a treasure trove for enthusiasts of modern Indian history. His prelude aptly underlines the historical significance of his memoirs, 'Reminiscences are sometimes regarded as the harmless hobbies of the advanced age […] I believe that interest in these reminiscences is not merely personal but historical. To be an octogenarian in a land where this species has become a rarity and to have spent over half a century in front ranks of public life forms perhaps a sufficient excuse for recapturing one's memories […] This has become all the more necessary on account of the publications of such books as the late Mr Montague's An Indian Diary and Sir Michael' O Dwyer's India as I Knew It which contain jaundiced versions of incidents of which I was once spectator and actor'. A liberal humanist Sir C. Sankaran Nair was a cosmopolitan thinker who loathed parochialism and ethnic nationalism. A lifelong member of London's National Liberal Club, he was a staunch advocate of universal liberty and equality. Even during his college days, he boldly challenged British racial supremacy. Once, when Justice Holloway, an English judge, asserted that the English were the only people never conquered, young Sankaran Nair refuted him by citing French historian Adolphe Thiers, who noted that the Normans — descendants of a French duchy — had conquered and enslaved the English. Holloway retorted that Normans and Saxons were of the same stock. 'By that logic,' Sankaran Nair shot back, 'we are all descended from Adam, rendering your argument meaningless!' This exchange epitomised his unwavering commitment to humanist ideals — principles that today's politicians, eager to exhume Nair for political gain, would likely find indigestible. Despite his differences with Gandhi, Sir C. Sankaran Nair shared some common ground with him. Both admired India's autonomous village republics; as a member of the Madras Legislative Council, Nair opposed the Village Cess Bill, fearing it would erode the traditional village system. He expressed hope that a future nationalist government would revive these republics. And similarly, like Gandhi, he was a passionate social reformer and eventually became president of the social reform movement. For Nair, political independence was not an end in itself but a means to achieve social regeneration. He made unsuccessful attempts to reform the matrilineal system among Kerala's Nairs and actively fought against caste oppression and gender disparities in Hindu law. Despite his disagreements with Gandhi, Nair acknowledged his global stature, remarking, 'Thanks to him, India has become a world problem.' However, in Gandhi and Anarchy, Nair sharply criticised the contradiction between Gandhi's doctrine of Ahimsa and his support for the caste system, which, according to Nair, helped align the reactionary elements of Hindu society with Gandhi's movement: 'The caste system is entirely opposed to the 'Ahimsa' (Non-injury) principle. The former has dedicated one of the main castes to death. Its function is to kill and be killed.' Stalwart of secularism Nair was neither a social conservative nor a status quoist. In his presidential address at the Amaravati Congress, he articulated his vision for a secular India: 'To break down the isolation of the Hindu religion, to remove the barriers preventing free social intercourse, to extend education to the lower classes, and to elevate women to equality with men, we require a strictly secular government in thorough sympathy with liberal thought and progress.' He initially opposed sectarian universities like the Banaras Hindu University, fearing they would foster communal strife. Mixing religion with politics repelled him, and extreme nationalism was anathema to his principles. Nair firmly believed in constitutional methods and rejected political fanaticism. This conviction led him to oppose Gandhi's non-cooperation movement as well as the Khilafat agitation. As Gandhi's influence grew, Nair receded from active politics, accepting his role with stoicism. In 1911, he wrote in The Contemporary Review (London): 'English law recognises the equality of all human beings, while Hindu law, rooted in caste immutability, divides society into rigid compartments. English law is individualistic; Indian law is communalistic. Under English law, England progressed astonishingly; Hindu law perpetuated a stagnant society, hastening its enslavement.' Nair admired Buddha and Christ, and even published an article on the Biblical sisters, Mary and Martha of Bethany, contrasting the West's action-oriented ethos (epitomised by Martha) with the East's contemplative tradition (symbolised by Mary). As the Viceroy's council member in charge of education, he advocated English as the medium of higher education, believing it essential for India's political progress, social reform, and women's emancipation. It is doubtful whether the BJP, with its conservative social outlook, can genuinely embrace Nair's liberal secularism. Protector of free speech Nair was a fearless practitioner of free speech. As the third Indian appointed to the Viceroy's Executive Council, he oversaw education, health, and land. During World War I, as the member in charge of ecclesiastical affairs, he was presented with a draft prayer for churches, seeking Allied victory. Nair refused, stating: 'Christ does not take sides in war. 'He who lives by the sword shall perish by the sword'— that is His teaching.' His defiance cost him the ecclesiastical portfolio, but he never compromised his principles for political expediency. Even the Viceroy felt the sting of his candour. After resigning from the Viceroy's Council in protest against the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, Nair had a final interview with Viceroy Chelmsford, who asked if he had a successor to recommend. 'Yes,' Nair replied, pointing to his peon. 'What?' exclaimed the shocked Viceroy. 'Why not? He is tall, handsome, wears his livery well, and will agree to everything you say. An ideal council member!' This fearless wit contrasts sharply with today's political climate, where the BJP nurtures an ecosystem of 'repressive tolerance'— mirroring the Congress's authoritarianism during the Emergency. A thorough pragmatist K.P.S. Menon, Independent India's first Foreign Secretary and Nair's son-in-law, wrote in Builders of Modern India: C. Sankaran Nair (1967), 'Once, I remarked to Nair: 'Your time in the Viceroy's Council must have been the most fruitful period of your life.' 'Fruitful?' he exclaimed. 'It was hellish… hellish.' After a pause, he added: 'Still, perhaps it was fruitful. I would have no regrets if I advanced Indian unity as I did Indian freedom.' Nair's tenure — hellish for him but fruitful for India — cements his place among the nation's builders. Unlike many of today's politicians, whose careers are fruitful for themselves but hellish for the nation, Nair embodied selfless service. He was a political realist. As Menon noted, 'The vision of 'Mother India,' with its emotional overtones, held no appeal for Sankaran Nair. He never romanticised a golden past, nor did he see India as a mystic entity, as Jawaharlal Nehru sometimes did. To him, India was a land of millions — ignorant, illiterate, half-starved, superstitious, and shackled by caste.' Tragically, India's reality remains as deplorable today as in Nair's time. If politicians genuinely care for the masses, they should learn from Nair's selflessness and integrity rather than exploit him for propaganda fodder. Sir C. Sankaran Nair was a visionary liberal, a secularist, and a fearless advocate of justice — qualities scarce in today's political landscape. Reducing him to a partisan mascot insults his legacy. Faisal C.K. is Deputy Law Secretary to the Government of Kerala.
Indian Express
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
‘Sankaran Nair put the whole British Empire on trial': Kesari 2 director reveals how Mahatama Gandhi, who had his differences with the lawyer, changed his opinion
Based on the aftermath of Jallianwala Bagh massacre, Kesari Chapter 2 has been in the news for its subject matter and its treatment. The film, after one week, sits at a net India collection of Rs 46.10 crore, with the Akshay Kumar starrer competing with Sunny Deol's Jatt, which has collected Rs 80 crore till now. The director of the film, Karan Singh Tyagi, recently went on a podcast and talked about the background of the narrative, including the relationship between Mahatma Gandhi and C. Sankaran Nair. Nair, who was a believer in the British Empire, quickly changed his stance after the Jallianwala Bagh massacre and decided to call out the colonisers in a book called Gandhi and Anarchy. Tyagi talked about this very incident and how much of the film was directly inspired by the book penned by Sankaran, The Case That Shook The Nation. 'Sankaran Nair wrote a book called Gandhi and Anarchy, and he got sued for defamation for writing that book. The fact that I am a lawyer helps me because to counter the defamation suit, you need to prove what happened at Jallianwala Bagh. So we have kept the soul and the essence from the book (The Case That Shook The Nation)'. He then proceeded to talk about another story which he got from the book that highlighted the relationship between Sankaran and Mahatma Gandhi. 'Mahatma Gandhi and Sankaran Nair had their differences, but after the trial, Gandhi stated that 'Sankaran Nair has not only put Michael O'Dwyer on trial but the whole British Empire on trial, and that they have been found wanting,' he told Bollywood Hungama. Even though many questions have been raised regarding the film's historical accuracy, Tyagi maintained throughout the interview that everything in the film comes from the original literature and that he read several books and testimonies of the survivors. 'We were honouring the sacrifice of people who came to the Bagh to celebrate Baisakhi and left as martyrs, and we were honouring the sacrifice of one of India's forgotten heroes, Sankaran Nair. So we had to be authentic, and we had to be sensitive to the material,' added the director. An alumnus of Government Law College, Mumbai, Karan did his LLM from Harvard Law School. He went on to work at international law firms in Paris and New York, but 'bitten by the Bollywood bug', he returned to India and assisted Vishal Bhardwaj on Rangoon. The historical courtroom drama was released on April 18, and the cast of the film includes Akshay Kumar, R. Madhavan and Ananya Panday.
The Hindu
24-04-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
N.S. Madhavan criticises K. Muraleedharan's comments on Chettur
Writer N.S. Madhavan criticised former Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president K. Muraleedharan's comments on jurist and former Indian National Congress president Chettur Sankaran Nair at a commemorative event on Thursday. In a post on his profile on X (formerly Twitter), he wrote that it was sad that such a statement came from a Congress leader. 'Following Jallianwala Bagh, Chettur resigned from his high position as member, Viceroy's Council. After his resignation, he publicly criticised the British government. His stance brought international attention to the massacre. Chettur's book, Gandhi and Anarchy, criticised both British policy and some of Gandhi's methods. Remember, Tagore was also critical of Gandhi's tactics. The book clearly condemned the British. Don't forget highest Indian official's resignation energised our freedom struggle,' wrote Mr. Madhavan.
