Amid spotlight on Chettur, obscure memorial sees battle for his legacy

Cong, BJP try to outsmart each other in paying tribute to the only Keralite to serve as AICC chief

- SHYAM P V @ 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 — was 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 was bogged down by poor access and remained largely forgotten, save for the occasional visit on his death anniversary.

But this Thursday (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, that 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.