Kesari- Chapter 2: Story of Chettur Sankaran Nair who took on the Empire

Akshay Kumar brings to life the legendary Chettur Sankaran Nair, who gave up power to fight for Freedom.

Chettur Sankaran Nair remains an unparalleled legend of India’s freedom struggle, and his intellect, integrity, and resoluteness stood out in stark contrast to many who chose to curry favour with the British colonialists to win positions, wealth, and power in the social milieu of pre-partition India.  

Born into a highly renowned family in Malabar that had many members who excelled in education, civil services and social influence, Nair held many key positions in the British Administration. He was knighted, served as a Member of the Viceroy’s Council, the equivalent of the Federal Cabinet and held the key portfolio of education. He was a barrister par excellence, and his administrative abilities were recognised and respected by the British Empire.  

He spoke his mind and was upright and honest to the core. When the Jallianwala Bagh massacre happened, with Gen Dyer ordering the forces to shoot hapless freedom fighters who thronged the ground to celebrate Baisakhi and to articulate the message of the Freedom Struggle, Nair resigned his position as Member of the Viceroy’s Council to protest the grave inhumanity perpetrated by the colonialists.

His fight for justice for the helpless villagers who were fired at, killed and maimed had just started. He appeared in the Court against the British Administration and ensured the indictment of the colonialists for the huge human losses. As expected, though, the guilty at the top were protected and condoned by the Empire.

Nair wrote in the newspapers about the miscarriage of justice and the grave tragedy at Jallianwala Bagh, for which he held Michael O’Dwyer, the Lieutenant Governor of Punjab, to be personally responsible. He was slapped with a defamation suit for maligning the O’Dwyer. He fought the case, argued incisively. But as only to be expected, Nair was indicted for libel and was ordered to pay a fine of Rs. 7500. He refused to apologise and get the fine waived, but instead opted to pay the amount, which was a big amount then.

He lived a life illuminated by lofty principles of dignity, integrity, erudition and intellectual honesty. His descendants and relatives provided stellar public services and achieved professional greatness as lawyers and civil servants. Chettur Sankaran Nair became the first, and only, Congress President from Kerala in the long history of the party.

In the biopic, Kesari Chapter 2, that tells the story of Nair’s uprightness and determination to stand by what he believed, Akshay Kumar plays the role of Nair. The movie is set to release on 18 April.

It is a moment of pride for all Indians. The significance of a scholarly and bold lawyer and administrator from the South of India playing a critical role in exposing and seeking to indict the powerful British empire represented by its Lt. Governor and Army General for a grave atrocity committed in the northern State of Punjab is a great testimony to the spirit of India’s unity and mutuality of purpose.