Tuesday, August 4, 2015
N. Sreekantan Nair was a longtime Member of Parliament of Kollam, freedom fighter, trade unionist and writer.
He was born on 15 July 1915 as the only son of N. Neelakanta Pillai M.A. (Eng), (Mal), (Sanskrit). Pillai was a Principal of Government Sanskrit College, Trivandrum and authored several books in the three languages and JanakiAmma. He married activist Maheshwari Amma, daughter of freedom fighter K. K. Kunju Pillai. They have a daughter, Naja.
Education
Nair passed his S.S.L.C. from M.G.M High School, Thiruvalla in 1932. He joined the Changanassery St.Berkman College where he completed his Intermediate in 1934. He passed his M.A. degree in English with first class from Maharajas College (now University College, Trivandrum) in 1937.
Political life
He was a member of the State Congress in the erstwhile state of Travancore, and a founder of the Kerala Socialist Party which later merged into the Revolutionary Socialist Party. He was elected to the Lok Sabha for the first time in the General Elections of 1952 from Quilon cum Mavelikara constituency, but lost the 1957 elections to V. P. Nair. He won the next four elections (1962, 1967, 1971, 1977) representing Kollam Parliament Constituency. He devoted his political life to the trade union sector in Kerala.
Sreekantan Nair was the President of Quilon Textile Workers Union ,Travancore Tile workers union,Travancore Titanium Workers Union ,Factory Workers Union,Kundara Ceramics,Rubber Plantion Workers Union, Kerala University Teachers, ISRO Mechanical Staff Association, HMT Wrorkers Union Kalamassery, Travancore Dewasom employees union, All Kerala Cashewnut Factory Workers Union, Rubber Plantation Workers Union etc. He was the National President of UTUC from 1955. Vice president of Akhila Kerala Navika Thozhilali Sangam. He held presidentship of somany Trade Unions in the State.As a Trade Union Leader he has visited China,Malaya, Singapore and Russia during 1953 again visited Russia in 1957.
He was a Member of Kerala University Senate and Syndicate, Kerala Agricultural University, Kerala Tourism Development Corporation,Board of Directors of Kerala Premo Pipe Factory Chavara.His valuable contribution as a member of Atomic Energy, Space and Electronics Consultative Committee is worth mentioning.
He held the position of ‘’Patron ‘’ of kerala sahithya Academy and worked as a Member of Editorial Board of Academy Publication Sahithya Lokam.
Writer
He translated the book 'Kayar'(Coir) of Jnanpith winner Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai to English. He was a board member of the Sahithya Pravarthaka Saharkarna Sanghom and member of Kerala Sahitya Akademi.
Major works
Ithuthanne MarxismAikya KeralamVanchikkapetta VenadEnte AmmaMy Mother (Translation of Ente Amma to English)Maotse Tung VansaiKazhinjakala Chithrangal (3 volumes)Sahithya Salakangal
Translations
Coir (English) (Translation of Kayar by Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai)
Chalo Delhi (Malayalam)(Translation of Road to Delhi by M.Sivaram)
