THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Freedom fighter and Gandhian philosopher P Gopinathan Nair passed away on Tuesday, two days short of his 100th birthday on July 7. Gopinathan Nair, a name synonymous with Gandhian values and freedom movement, was one of the last freedom fighters alive in the state. Nair was a former chairman of Kerala Mahatma Gandhi National Memorial Trust, popularly known as Gandhi Smarak Nidhi, a trust managed by the Union government.
He passed away around 8.45pm at a private hospital at Neyyattinkara where he had been under treatment for the past two weeks for age-related ailments. Gopinathan Nair had taken part in the Quit India Movement of 1942 and had worked alongside Vinoba Bhave to promote Bhoodan and Gramdan movements. He is the initiator of the camp movement, a student programme, as a part of the Construction Movement of Mahatma Gandhi.
The Government of India awarded him the fourth highest civilian honour of Padma Shri in 2016 for his contributions to society. He also mediated the peace talks after the Marad massacre in 2002 when A K Antony was the chief minister. He is survived by wife L Saraswathi Amma, a retired state women’s welfare officer. The cremation will be held on his house premises at Neyyattinkara at 5 pm. His mortal remains will be kept for the public to pay homage at Kerala Gandhi Smaraka Nidhi Bhavan, Neyyattinkara Town Hall and at his house at TB junction.
ONE OF FEW REMAINING FREEDOM FIGHTERS
Gopinathan Nair was one of the few remaining freedom fighters in the country. While Gandhian KE Mammen passed away in 2017, another freedom fighter, Ayyappan Pillai, passed away this January. Gopinathan Nair had shared his memories of freedom movement with TNIE in 2017 while talking about his close association with K E Mammen, who was his friend since college days.
“I was studying in Science College and Mammen at the Arts College. The freedom struggle was at its peak and students used to hold protest marches and meetings. It was really the love for Independence that brought us together,” he had said.