PALAKKAD: The 'smrithi kudeeram' (memorial) dedicated to Chettur Sankaran Nair -- the only Keralite to have served as president of the All India Congress Committee and the sole Indian on the viceroy's executive council -- is an obscure and hard-to-reach structure. Situated at his ancestral home, near the now-defunct Mankara railway station, nearly 19 km from Palakkad, the site remained largely forgotten, save for the occasional visit on his death anniversary.
But April 24 marked a rare moment of political convergence. On the occasion of Nair's 91st death anniversary, the memorial witnessed an unexpected surge in footfall. Despite the previous day's rain, which rendered the surrounding paddy fields muddy and the path nearly impassable, dozens of people made the arduous trek -- crossing railway tracks and slushy terrain -- to pay homage to the historic figure. Notably, the visitors arrived in two political contingents: BJP leaders, followed by their Congress counterparts.
While the Congress has consistently observed Nair's memorial day over the years, it was Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent reference to Sankaran Nair that reignited national interest in the freedom fighter and former statesman. The mention not only catalysed renewed political attention, but also prompted a symbolic reclaiming of his legacy.
For a day, the memorial was transformed -- decked up with flowers, freshly cleaned, and marked by flags of both political parties. Leaders from both sides offered floral tributes in separate ceremonies, each honouring Nair while subtly staking ideological claims to his contributions.
BJP national executive member PK Krishnadas, addressing a public gathering at Vella Road Junction -- about 2 km from the memorial -- praised Nair's unwavering patriotism. "He was a fearless patriot who spoke out against the British after the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, even while serving on the viceroy's executive council. Although he served as AICC chief, it is unfortunate that the Congress today does not value his contributions," Krishnadas said.
"There are two reasons why the Congress does not want to remember Nair. One, they are slyly rewriting history to suggest that only leaders from the Nehru-Gandhi family were freedom fighters. Two, Nair wrote in his book on what exactly happened during the Mappila Rebellion in Malabar, and just to appease the Muslim League and a few extremist groups, the Congress leadership conveniently kept aside Nair and his contributions to the country," Krishnadas said.
Krishnadas said the BJP will take all efforts to build a proper memorial for Chettur immediately. Three members from the Chettur family were honoured at the function, attended by BJP district leaders and a handful of party members.
Around 2 km away, at the Parali Congress block committee office, the Congress held another remembrance event, like it has in recent years, which was inaugurated by Palakkad MP VK Sreekandan.
"We are really happy that the BJP has started honouring Chettur, who always stood for secular India and died a pure Congressman. It took a film to release for the BJP men to know about Chettur. Because, they do not learn the history of our country and they do not have any freedom fighters to boast of. We are so proud that they are honouring a former AICC president and we hope they would realise the contribution of all the Congressmen and the party in days to come," said Sreekandan.
On the day, the Congress held programmes at various locations to pay homage to Nair, attended by its veteran leaders and party workers.
As tributes poured in from both sides, it was evident that Nair -- once a forgotten figure in Kerala's historical consciousness -- had become a new bone of contention in the state's political discourse.