KOTTAYAM: Chief Minister V D Satheesan is set to inaugurate the 150th birth anniversary celebrations of Mannath Padmanabhan at the Nair Service Society (NSS) headquarters in Perunna on January 2, 2027, in what is being seen as a thaw in his strained relationship with the organisation.
The visit, his first to the NSS headquarters since assuming office as Chief Minister, comes after years of criticism directed at Satheesan by NSS General Secretary G Sukumaran Nair. The proposed engagement has drawn considerable political attention in Kerala amid indications that the differences between the two sides have been resolved.
Sukumaran Nair confirmed that he had spoken to the Chief Minister over the phone and personally invited him to the 'Mannam Jayanthi' celebrations. He said there were no longer any differences of opinion between the two and that the issues of the past had been 'settled' through discussions.
The celebrations will be held at Perunna on January 1 and 2. The main commemorative event on January 2 will be inaugurated by the Chief Minister. Health Minister K Muraleesharan will deliver the keynote address. An all-Kerala Nair delegates' conference will be held on January 1.
However, it remains unclear whether Satheesan will visit the Mannam Samadhi during his visit. "If he expresses a desire to visit the memorial, arrangements will certainly be made," Sukumaran Nair said.
Referring to the earlier exchanges between the two, the NSS general secretary said they had discussed Satheesan's past remarks and that the Chief Minister had explained that they were made in the context of the circumstances prevailing at the time. "I have moved past those remarks. We have put the old issues behind us and are now on friendly terms," he said.
Meanwhile, Sukumaran Nair clarified that the NSS had not placed any demands before either the Union or State governments. The organisation's position was that reservation should be determined on economic criteria, irrespective of whether the beneficiaries belonged to backward or forward communities.
He said the proposal had neither been submitted in writing to any authority nor discussed with the Chief Minister. The government would be formally apprised of the organisation's position at an appropriate time, he added.