T. M. Nair
Encyclopedia
Taravath Madhavan Nair was an India
n politician
and political activist of the Self-Respect Movement
from the Madras Presidency
. He founded the Justice Party
along with Theagaroya Chetty
and C. Natesa Mudaliar
.
on January 15, 1868 in the Taravath family of Palghat, Madras Presidency
. His father Chingicham Veetil Sankaran Nair was a District Munsiff in the Judicial service at Tirur. Madhavan Nair's elder brother Sankaran Nair studied law and served as Deputy Collector while his sister Taravath Ammalu Ammal was a Sanskrit and Malayalam scholar who wrote a book in Malayalam on the lives of the 63 Nayanmars.
Nair did his schooling at Government High School, Palghat. He was known for his academic proficiency and he passed his matriculation exam one year in advance. He did his graduation from Presidency College, Madras and joined Madras Medical College. However, he did not complete his course in medicine. Instead, he discontinued his course and moved to Edinburgh
. He graduated in M.B., Ch.B. at Edinburgh and obtained his M. D. in 1896, with Sanskrit as the compulsory classical subject. He researched in E. N. T. diseases at Paris
and returned to India in 1897. During his stay in the United Kingdom
, he was a member of the Edinburgh Student's Representative Council, Secretary and later, President of the Edinburgh Indian Association, member of the Edinburgh University Liberal Association and University Union and one of the editors of Edinburgh University Liberal's magazine "The Student". Prior to his return to India, Nair spent some time in London where he served as Secretary and later Vice-President of London Indian Society which was led by Dadabhai Naoroji
. He also served as a member of the British Medical Association, the Royal Asiatic Society, the National Liberal Club and the Royal Society.
in the Madras Corporation from 1904 to 1916. During his term, he frequently attacked the Corporation and its President Mr. Molony over the quality of water supplied. In 1910, he agitated for the revival of the Palghat Municipal Council.
In 1908, Nair was appointed member of the Labor Commission by the Government of India. He submitted a report condemning the situation of workers in factories and recommended the reduction of hours of work. He personally submitted his condemnation and recommendations before the Secretary of State for India at London.
In 1912, Dr. Nair was elected to the Madras Legislative Council
. When the First World War broke out, Dr. Nair served as one of the surgeons in the hospital ship, S. S. Madras and was commissioned as a Lieutenant. At the end of the War, he was awarded the Kaiser-i-Hind medal and the War Service medal posthumously.
right from the time of his return to India in 1897. In the Congress sessions in 1898 and 1899, he strongly condemned the present status of Indian officers in the Medical services and campaigned for equal treatment to be meted out to them. He presided over the District Congress at Chittoor, North Arcot
in 1907.
launched by Annie Besant
.
In 1917, Dr. Nair left the Indian National Congress. At a meeting on August 1917, Dr. T. M. Nair spoke:
In October 1917, Dr. T. M. Nair launched the South Indian Liberal Federation, also known as the Justice Party
in collaboration with Sir Pitti Theagaroya Chetty
.
Accordingly, from February 26, 1917 onwards, the Justice began to be published. Dr. Nair was the Chief Editor until his death in 1919. In his newspaper, Dr. Nair attacked his opponents in the Indian National Movement and supporters of the Home Rule Movement. Once when the Indian National Congress carried out agitations in Ernad Tirur and Valluvanad, he prophesized that "the Congress was smoking in a gunpowder magazine". His words proved to be true when the Moplah Rebellion broke out in the region in the year 1921.
to speak in support of communal representations before a Joint Parliamentary Committee. He remains one of the few Indians to have addressed a meeting of the members of the British Parliament. However, he was prohibited from speaking to the public on the orders of Edwin Samuel Montagu
, the Secretary of State for India
. Dr. Nair died on July 17, 1919 at the age of fifty-one due to heart seizure following diabetic gangrene and Bright's disease. His body was brought to India and cremated at Golders Green.
released a postage stamp in his honor. Dr. Nair Road, an arterial road running through T. Nagar
, Chennai
is named after him.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and political activist of the Self-Respect Movement
Self-Respect Movement
The Self-Respect Movement was founded in 1925 by Periyar E. V. Ramasamy in Tamil Nadu, India. The movement has the aim of achieving a society where backward castes have equal human rights, and encouraging backward castes to have self-respect in the context of a caste based society that...
from the Madras Presidency
Madras Presidency
The Madras Presidency , officially the Presidency of Fort St. George and also known as Madras Province, was an administrative subdivision of British India...
. He founded the Justice Party
Justice Party (India)
The Justice Party , officially known as South Indian Liberal Federation, was a political party in the Madras Presidency of British India. The party was established in 1917 by T. M. Nair and Theagaroya Chetty as a result of a series of non-Brahmin conferences and meetings in the presidency...
along with Theagaroya Chetty
Theagaroya Chetty
Sir Pitti Theagaraya Chetty KCSI was an eminent lawyer, industrialist and a prominent political leader from the erstwhile Madras province. He was one of the founders of the Justice Party in 1916 along with C. Natesa Mudaliar, Dr. T. M. Nair...
and C. Natesa Mudaliar
C. Natesa Mudaliar
C. Natesa Mudaliar , also known as Natesan, was a politician and activist of the Dravidian Movement from the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. He was one of the founders of the Justice Party along with Theagaroya Chetty and Dr. T. M. Nair....
.
Early life
Nair http://www.nss.org.in\was born near TirurTirur
Tirur is a town and a municipality in Malappuram district in the Indian state of Kerala spread over an area of 16.55 km2 . It is birth place of Thunchathu Ramanujan Ezhuthachan, the father of Malayalam literature. Thunchan Parambu is highly venerated and its sand is believed to be sacred. The...
on January 15, 1868 in the Taravath family of Palghat, Madras Presidency
Madras Presidency
The Madras Presidency , officially the Presidency of Fort St. George and also known as Madras Province, was an administrative subdivision of British India...
. His father Chingicham Veetil Sankaran Nair was a District Munsiff in the Judicial service at Tirur. Madhavan Nair's elder brother Sankaran Nair studied law and served as Deputy Collector while his sister Taravath Ammalu Ammal was a Sanskrit and Malayalam scholar who wrote a book in Malayalam on the lives of the 63 Nayanmars.
Nair did his schooling at Government High School, Palghat. He was known for his academic proficiency and he passed his matriculation exam one year in advance. He did his graduation from Presidency College, Madras and joined Madras Medical College. However, he did not complete his course in medicine. Instead, he discontinued his course and moved to Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
. He graduated in M.B., Ch.B. at Edinburgh and obtained his M. D. in 1896, with Sanskrit as the compulsory classical subject. He researched in E. N. T. diseases at Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and returned to India in 1897. During his stay in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, he was a member of the Edinburgh Student's Representative Council, Secretary and later, President of the Edinburgh Indian Association, member of the Edinburgh University Liberal Association and University Union and one of the editors of Edinburgh University Liberal's magazine "The Student". Prior to his return to India, Nair spent some time in London where he served as Secretary and later Vice-President of London Indian Society which was led by Dadabhai Naoroji
Dadabhai Naoroji
Dadabhai Naoroji , known as the Grand Old Man of India, was a Parsi intellectual, educator, cotton trader, and an early Indian political leader. His book Poverty and Un-British Rule in India brought attention to the draining of India's wealth into Britain...
. He also served as a member of the British Medical Association, the Royal Asiatic Society, the National Liberal Club and the Royal Society.
Public offices
Nair represented TriplicaneTriplicane
Triplicane also has the famous powerful Ellamman temple in SMV Koil street. A beautiful Sundaramurthy Vinayagar temple is right opposite to the Ellamman Temple....
in the Madras Corporation from 1904 to 1916. During his term, he frequently attacked the Corporation and its President Mr. Molony over the quality of water supplied. In 1910, he agitated for the revival of the Palghat Municipal Council.
In 1908, Nair was appointed member of the Labor Commission by the Government of India. He submitted a report condemning the situation of workers in factories and recommended the reduction of hours of work. He personally submitted his condemnation and recommendations before the Secretary of State for India at London.
In 1912, Dr. Nair was elected to the Madras Legislative Council
Madras Legislative Council
Tamil Nadu Legislative Council is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It began its existence as Madras Legislative Council, the first provincial legislature for Madras Presidency. It was initially created as an advisory body in 1861, by the British...
. When the First World War broke out, Dr. Nair served as one of the surgeons in the hospital ship, S. S. Madras and was commissioned as a Lieutenant. At the end of the War, he was awarded the Kaiser-i-Hind medal and the War Service medal posthumously.
In the Indian National Congress
Nair was associated with the Indian National CongressIndian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
right from the time of his return to India in 1897. In the Congress sessions in 1898 and 1899, he strongly condemned the present status of Indian officers in the Medical services and campaigned for equal treatment to be meted out to them. He presided over the District Congress at Chittoor, North Arcot
North Arcot
The Indian District of North Arcot was split on 30-09-1989 into Tiruvannamalai-Sambuvarayar and North Arcot Ambedkar .- History :...
in 1907.
Formation of the South Indian Liberal Federation
When Dr. Nair lost the elections to the Imperial Legislature of India held in 1916, he blamed caste-based prejudices in the Indian National Congress for his loss. Nair felt that the Brahmins Tamil Brahmins were dominating the Indian National Congress. He protested the Home Rule MovementHome Rule Movement
The All India Home Rule League was a national political organization founded in 1916 to lead the national demand for self-government, termed Home Rule, and to obtain the status of a Dominion within the British Empire as enjoyed by Australia, Canada, South Africa, New Zealand and Newfoundland at the...
launched by Annie Besant
Annie Besant
Annie Besant was a prominent British Theosophist, women's rights activist, writer and orator and supporter of Irish and Indian self rule.She was married at 19 to Frank Besant but separated from him over religious differences. She then became a prominent speaker for the National Secular Society ...
.
In 1917, Dr. Nair left the Indian National Congress. At a meeting on August 1917, Dr. T. M. Nair spoke:
In October 1917, Dr. T. M. Nair launched the South Indian Liberal Federation, also known as the Justice Party
Justice Party (India)
The Justice Party , officially known as South Indian Liberal Federation, was a political party in the Madras Presidency of British India. The party was established in 1917 by T. M. Nair and Theagaroya Chetty as a result of a series of non-Brahmin conferences and meetings in the presidency...
in collaboration with Sir Pitti Theagaroya Chetty
Theagaroya Chetty
Sir Pitti Theagaraya Chetty KCSI was an eminent lawyer, industrialist and a prominent political leader from the erstwhile Madras province. He was one of the founders of the Justice Party in 1916 along with C. Natesa Mudaliar, Dr. T. M. Nair...
.
Editorship of the Justice
In November 1916, a meeting was held at Madras in which Sir P. Theagaroya Chetty and Dr. T. M. Nair participated. The meeting brought out a resolution mandating the establishment of a newspaper for voicing the aspirations of non-Brahmins.Accordingly, from February 26, 1917 onwards, the Justice began to be published. Dr. Nair was the Chief Editor until his death in 1919. In his newspaper, Dr. Nair attacked his opponents in the Indian National Movement and supporters of the Home Rule Movement. Once when the Indian National Congress carried out agitations in Ernad Tirur and Valluvanad, he prophesized that "the Congress was smoking in a gunpowder magazine". His words proved to be true when the Moplah Rebellion broke out in the region in the year 1921.
Mission to England and death
In 1918-19, despite warnings from fellow doctors not to travel abroad considering that his health was deteriorating, he led a mission to EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
to speak in support of communal representations before a Joint Parliamentary Committee. He remains one of the few Indians to have addressed a meeting of the members of the British Parliament. However, he was prohibited from speaking to the public on the orders of Edwin Samuel Montagu
Edwin Samuel Montagu
Edwin Samuel Montagu PC was a British Liberal politician. He notably served as Secretary of State for India between 1917 and 1922.-Background and education:...
, the Secretary of State for India
Secretary of State for India
The Secretary of State for India, or India Secretary, was the British Cabinet minister responsible for the government of India and the political head of the India Office...
. Dr. Nair died on July 17, 1919 at the age of fifty-one due to heart seizure following diabetic gangrene and Bright's disease. His body was brought to India and cremated at Golders Green.
Inclination
Nair always wore Western clothes and followed Western manners and customs. Due to this reason, he was frequently criticized as an Anglophile. However, at the same time, he displayed his love for his mother tongue Malayalam by speaking and writing in chaste Malayalam.Commemoration
In 2008, the Government of IndiaGovernment of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
released a postage stamp in his honor. Dr. Nair Road, an arterial road running through T. Nagar
T. Nagar
Theagaraya Nagar , popularly known by its abbreviated form T. Nagar, is a neighbourhood in the city of Chennai, India. Though originally conceived as a residential locality, it is presently one of the principal shopping districts of the city....
, Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
is named after him.
See also
- Theagaroya ChettyTheagaroya ChettySir Pitti Theagaraya Chetty KCSI was an eminent lawyer, industrialist and a prominent political leader from the erstwhile Madras province. He was one of the founders of the Justice Party in 1916 along with C. Natesa Mudaliar, Dr. T. M. Nair...