BJP's Rajeev Chandrasekhar criticizes Congress for neglecting legacy of Chettur Sankaran Nair

New Delhi, April 9: Kerala BJP chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Wednesday criticised the Congress party for allegedly erasing former party president Chettur Sankaran Nair from its history. He claimed that leaders like Subhash Chandra Bose, Sardar Vallabhai Patel, and Dr. Ambedkar have also been sidelined to serve the interests of the "Congress dynasty."

In a post on X, Chandrasekhar highlighted Chettur Nair's significant contributions as a prominent lawyer and statesman, particularly his legal battle against Michael O'Dwyer following the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. He expressed disappointment over the neglect of his legacy in both Congress and Kerala's history.

"One more example of how the Congress party airbrushes leaders from its history, just as Subhash Bose, Sardar Vallabhai Patel, Dr Ambedkar, etc, and so many others to humour the Congress dynasty," the BJP leader said.

"Chettur Sankaran Nair was a prominent Indian lawyer, statesman, and former president of the Indian National Congress (INC) in 1897 - but has been erased out of the Congress history. He is remembered even today for his legal battles--like his case against Michael O'Dwyer, who perpetrated the Jallianwala Bagh massacre," the BJP leader said.

Rajeev Chandrasekhar emphasized further that Nair's views were rooted in his liberal and true constitutionalist outlook.

"As a Malayalee, I believe that it's shameful the way he has been neglected in Congress and Kerala's history," he said on X.

Chettur Sankaran Nair was born in Mankara in Palakkad District on July 11, 1857.

He was the youngest and the first Malyali president of the Indian National Congress at the Amaravathi Session of the Congress in 1897. In his first speech as the president of the Congress, he encouraged the Indian people to secure all rights in India enjoyed by the British citizens in England.

In 1915, he became a member of the Viceroy's Executive Council. He resigned from the Council protesting the Jallian Walla Bagh Massacre in 1919. When Lord Chelmsford asked him to nominate his successor to the Council, he nominated his servant as a token of protest.

He opposed the Civil Disobedience movement of Gandhiji as he supported constitutional agitation only. He criticized the policies of Gandhiji and wrote a book, Gandhi and Anarchy, in 1922. He demanded the linguistic reorganization of Indian states.

He was disillusioned with the fight between Moderates and Extremists in Congress. He supported Dominion Status for India in the first stage and said that complete independence for India could be achieved only in the second stage. He died on April 22, 1934.

Reader Comments

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Priya K.

Interesting to learn about Chettur Nair's contributions! It's sad how many freedom fighters get forgotten in our history books. We need more awareness about these unsung heroes. 🙏

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Rahul M.

While I appreciate highlighting Nair's legacy, this seems like selective outrage. Every political party glorifies some leaders while downplaying others. BJP does it too with leaders like Vajpayee sometimes.

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Ananya S.

His protest by nominating his servant to the Viceroy's Council was brilliant! More people should know about this act of defiance against British rule. 👏

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Vikram J.

As a Malayali, I'm embarrassed I didn't know about this great son of Kerala. Why isn't he taught in our school curriculum? This needs to change!

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Sunita P.

His views on constitutional agitation vs civil disobedience are fascinating. Shows how diverse the freedom movement was - not everyone agreed with Gandhi's methods. History is more complex than we think!

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Karthik R.

The timing of this revelation seems political, but regardless, Nair's story deserves attention. Maybe we need a biopic to bring his legacy to the masses!

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.